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LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

University  of  California. 

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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/americangirlshomOOcamprich 


:B^  Ibelen  Campbell 


I.   THE  AMERICAN  GIRL'S  HOME-BOOK 
II.    HOUSEHOLD   ECONOMICS 


G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons,  New  York  and  London 


THE 


AMERICAN  GIRL'S  HOME  BOOK 


WORK  AND  PLAY 


HELEN    CAMPBELL 

AUTHOR  or  "  UNDBR  GRKBN  APPLE-BOUGHS,"    "  THE  PROBLEM  OF  THE  POOR,"    "PATTY 
FBAXSON'S  BOV,"   "  THB  AINSLBB  SERIES,"  ETC. 


NEW  EDITION,  REVISED  AND  ENLARGED 
ILLUSTRATED 


NEW    YORK   AND   LONDON 

G.  P.  PUTNAM'S   SONS 

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MAY  29  I9n 

Copyright  . 
By  G.  »».  PUTNAM'S  SONS 


PREFACE 


L(»fG  ago,  when  the  writer  was  young,  she  owned  a  little  book, 
consulted  with  never-flagging  enthusiasm,  and  written  by  a  woman 
who  did  the  first  intelligent  and  sympathetic  work  for  children  ever 
accomplished  in  this  country.  In  Mrs.  Lydia  Maria  Child's  "  Girl's 
Own  Book "  such  plays  as  tne  more  rigorous  educational  theories 
of  the  time  allowed,  were  set  forth  m  order,  and  there  were  also 
sundry  small  occupations  for  amusement ;  the  crystallized  grasses, 
alum-baskets,  and  various  ornamental  works  still  to  be  found  in  old 
houses,  testifying  to  the  zeal  with  which  her  instructions  were  fol- 
lowed. 

The  little  book  is  now,  in  many  points,  as  antiquated  as  if  written 
in  the  fifteenth,  instead  of  the  nineteenth,  century ;  and  yet  it  em- 
bodies a  plan  which  has  never  since  been  carried  out,  —  that  of  com- 
bining all  the  occupations,  as  well  as  amusements,  practicable  in  a 
mixed  family  of  all  ages  and  tastes.  As  yet,  though  boys  are  pro- 
vided for,  girls  have  no  book  that  will  be  a  trustworthy  guide,  either 
in  work  or  play ;  and  it  is  hoped  that  the  present  one  will  fill  that 
"long  unoccupied  niche"  which  many  authors  have  felt  it  their 
mission  to  redeem  fi*om  emptiness,  and  become  the  trusted  friend 
and  adviser  of  all  the  girls  who  are  uncertain  what  is  best  in  either 
work  or  play.     All  directions  have  been  made  as  plain  and  explicit 

219364 


11  PREFACE, 

as  possible ;  and  the  writer  believes  that  every  fact  and  figure  may 
be  trusted  as  the  real  result  of  real  work,  and  that,  while  the  Loui- 
siana girl  may  have  to  plan  a  shghtly  diiferent  course  from  her 
Massachusetts  sister,  the  same  results  are  probable  for  both. 

The  author  is  indebted  to  Mrs.  Hester  M.  Poole  of  Metuchen, 
N.J.,  for  the  matter  from  Chaps.  XI.  to  XX.  inclusive  of  Part  III. ; 
her  experience  having  been  a  practical  one,  and  her  facts  most 
carefully  stated.  The  use  of  Mr.  George  B.  Bartlett's  work  in 
Chaps.  V.  and  VI.,  in  Part  I.,  has  been  cordially  given  by  both 
author  and  publishers ;  and  the  same  is  the  case  with  Mrs.  Charles 
F.  Femald's  "Jack  and  the  Beanstalk"  in  Part  I.  The  matter 
and  drawings  for  part  of  the  chapter  on  "Magic-Lanterns,"  in 
Part  I.,  was  furnished  by  Mrs.  May  Cole  Baker  of  Washington; 
and  the  "Stage-Coach"  story,  by  Miss  Louise  Stockton  of  Phila- 
delphia. Every  available  authority  has  been  consulted  and  sifted; 
and  it  is  hoped  that  the  American  girl  will  find  the  results,  though 
giving  slight  indication  of  the  amount  of  labor  expended,  good 
both  for  present  and  future. 

HELEN   CAMPBELL. 

Philadblphia,  August,  i88> 


PREFACE  TO  REVISED  EDITION. 


Five  years  have  passed  since  the  first  edition  of  the 
"  American  Girls'  Home  Book  of  Work  and  Play  **  was 
prepared ;  and  though  there  are  many  points  in  which  it 
might  be  bettered,  it  has  proved  the  safe  and  trusty  com- 
panion of  a  good  many  girls  who  have  studied  the  third 
part  eagerly,  and  have  found  it,  as  they  say,  precisely  the 
help  they  needed.  Two  chapters  are  added  to  the  present 
edition  :  one  on  "  Candy- Making,"  which  has  proved  itself 
a  practical  and  profitable  home  occupation;  the  other  on 
**A  New  Home  Industry,"  a  new  form  of  mosaic-work 
both  pretty  and  practical. 

Naturally  in  five  years  countless  games  have  been  in- 
vented, and  have  had  their  day,  the  old  favorites  calmly 
holding  their  own,  and  returned  to  always  with  the  sense 
of  satisfaction  found  in  familiar  and  well-tested  friends. 
It  would  be  quite  possible  to  make  many  alterations  and 
additions,  where  this  portion  of  the  book  is  concerned, 
but  the  gain  would  be  but  trifling,  since  the  children  of 
each  generation  reproduce  the  games  of  the  last,  and  are 
all,  in  this  direction,  conservatives  of  the  first  water.  And 
so,  having  turned  over  the  pages  diligently,  the  author 
leaves  them  as  they  stand,  knowing  that  other  books  will 
give  the  newest  thing  told  in  the  newest  way,  but  that 
she  may  still  count  upon  friends  for  the  old,  as  well  as 
hope  for  new  ones  to  come. 

London,  February,  1888. 

m 


CONTENTS 


PART   FIRST. 
CHAPTER   I. 

PAdB 

Rainy-day  Amusements  and  Home-made  Toys  for  Younger  Chil- 
dren         I 

Coloring  Pictures,  2 ;  Making  Scrap-books,  3 ;  A  Picture-puzzle,  4 ; 
Paper  Dolls  and  Furniture,  4 ;  Reception-chair,  5 ;  Paper  Bed,  6;  Paper 
Sofa,  7 ;  Rocking-chair  and  Ottomans,  8 ;  Parlor  Table,  9 ;  Bureau, 
10;  Washstand,  1 1 ;  Cork-work,  12  ;  Paper  Fly-boxes,  13;  Paper  Caps 
or  Cocked  Hats,  14;  Paper  Boats,  15;  Pricking  Pictures,  16;  Soap- 
bubbles,  16;  Keeping  Store,  17;  Home  Newspapers,  20;  Home  Post- 
offices,  20. 

CHAPTER   II. 

A  Children's  Party  and  the  Games  they  played  ....  23 
Stage-coach,  24;  Bluff,  27;  Magic  Music,  28;  How  do  you  Like  it? 
When  do  you  Like  it?  Where  do  you  Like  it?  28;  Hunt-the-slipper, 
30;  Thus  says  the  Grand  Mufti,  31  ;  The  Emperor  of  Moscow,  31; 
The  German  Dwarf,  32;  The  Kentucky  Giant  and  the  Kentucky 
Giant's  Wife,  34 ;  The  Elephant,  35 ;  Magic-lantern,  35 ;  The  House 
that  Jack  built,  36;  Little  Miss  Muffet,  39. 


CHAPTER   III. 
Fiftt  Forfeits 41 


VI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   IV. 

PAGE 

Some  Games  they  might  have  played 52 

Shadow  Buff,  52 ;  The  Reader,  53 ;  The  Elements,  55 ;  The  Secret 
Word,  57 ;  Many  Words  in  One,  59;  The  Watchword,  61  ;  The  Mer- 
chants, 62;  Consequences,  63;  How  to  guess  any  Number  thought 
of,  67 ;  Here  I  Bake,  and  here  I  Brew,  67 ;  You  are  Nothing  but  a 
Goose,  67  ;  The  Puzzle  Wall,  69 ;  Girofle,  Girofla,  70 ;  Good-day,  Ce- 
cilia, 73;  The  New  French  Fashion,  76;  Sowing  Oats,  78;  The  Black 
Art,  81 ;  Galoo,  81  ;  To  put  Three  Children  through  the  Keyhole,  82; 
How  Two  Children  may  stand  on  a  Handkerchief  without  touching 
One  Another,  82 ;  French  Blind  Man's  Buff,  82 ;  Bachelor's  Kitchen, 
82;  Easter  Eggs,  83;  Bonbons,  84;  Balloons.  84;  Grab-bag,  85; 
Paper  Bags,  85 ;  Scissor  Presents,  85. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Hints  for  Parlor  Plays 86 

Simple  Tableaux  Vivants  and  Frame  Pictures,  89;  Plan  for  the 
Frames,  91 ;  Faith,  Peace,  and  Glory,  93 ;  Ignorance  is  Bliss,  93 ;  Exe- 
cution of  Joan  of  Arc,  94 ;  Living  Statuary,  95 ;  Monumental  Group, 
99;  The  Angel  of  Sleep,  99;  Nydia,  100;  The  Christian  Graces,  100; 
Caractacus,  100;  Justice,  Mercy,  and  Peace,  100;  Maud  Muller,  loi. 

CHAPTER   VI. 

Ballads  in  Action 102 

Auld  Robin  Gray,  102;  The  Mistletoe-bough,  104;  Villikins  and 
his  Dinah,  106;  Lord  Ullin's  Daughter,  109. 

CHAPTER  VII. 
The  Twelve  Miss  Pelicoes 113 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Charades  and  Proverbs  in  Action 116 

Patchwork,  116,  Dramatic,  117;  Childhood,  118;  Proverbs  in  Tab- 
leaux, ii8;  A  Stitch  in  Time  saves  Nine,  118;  Hunger  is  the  Best 
Sauce,  119;  Acting  Charades,  120 ;  Ringlet,  120;  Petticoat,  121 ;  Post- 
man,  122;   Post-chaise,    122;   Bookcase,   i22j    Wedlock,   123;   Mis 


CONTENTS.  vii 

PACK 

chief,  123;  Wardrobe,  124;  Woodstock,  125;  Mortality,  125;  Help- 
mate, 126;  Incautious,  126;  Illustrated  Poems,  127;  Jack  and  the 
Beanstalk,  127. 

CHAPTER   IX. 

Halloween  and  Other  Amusements 144 

Snapdragon,  144;  Nut-burning,  144;  Diving  for  Apples,  145;  The 
Wedding-ring  Test,  145;  The  Needle  Test,  145;  Melting  Lead,  145} 
The  Looking-glass  Test,  146;  Literary  Enigmas,  147. 


PART   SECOND. 

CHAPTER   I. 
Lawn  Tennis  and  its  Laws 151 

Strokes,  160;  Holding  the  Racket,  162;  The  Serve,  162;  The  Take 
and  the  Return,  165 ;  Volleys  and  Half-volleys,  169 ;  Four-handed 
Games,  171;  Winter  Tennis,  173;  Seaside  Tennis,  174. 

CHAPTER   II. 
Archery  and  Other  Games 175 

The  Bowstring,  177;  The  Arrow,  178;  The  Target,  179;  How  to 
Shoot,  180;  Rules  for  Target-shooting,  181;  Croquet,  183;  Croquet 
Pool,  183;  Badminton,  184;  Lawn  Billiards,  187;  Ship-Coil,  187; 
Rounders,  188. 

CHAPTER  III. 

A  Home  Swimming-school 189 

Swimming  on  the  Chest,  191 ;  Swimming  on  the  Side,  193;  Miscella- 
neous Instructions,  194. 

CHAPTER   IV. 

Boating  for  Girls 196 

Parts  of  a  Boat,  197 ;  Short  Rules  for  Rowing,  198 ;  Towing,  202. 

CHAPTER   V. 

Hints  on  making  Small  Collections 204 

Butterflies  and  Moths,  205 ;  Caterpillars,  206 ;  Pins  and  Mounting,  212. 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

PAGE 

The  Aquarium 215 

Aquarium  Cement,  215 ;  A  Marine  Aquarium,  217  ;  Shoi  t  Rules,  222. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Walking-Clubs  and  Camping  Out 225 

Dress,  227  ;  Shoes,  227  ;  Rest,  227 ;  Camping,  228. 


CHAPTER  VIII.  ♦ 
Dress,  230;  Rings,  231  j  Wands,  232;  Dumb-bells,  232. 


Light  Gymnastics 230 


PART  THIRD. 

CHAPTER  I. 

Sewing  and  Doll's  Dress-making 234 

Straight  Lines,  234 ;  Outline  Pictures,  234 ;  Doll's  Nightgown,  239 ; 
Chemise,  239;  Drawers,  239;  Waist,  240;  Apron,  242;  Dresses  for 
China  Dolls,  243;  Boy's  Knickerbockers,  244;  Costume  Dolls,  245; 
Normandy  Peasant,  245 ;  Italian  Peasant,  246 ;  Spanish  Dancer,  247 ; 
Marquise  Dress,  247. 

CHAPTER   II. 

Fifty  Christmas-Gifts  for  Small  Fingers 248 

Spectacle-wipers,  248;  Baby-shoe  Penwiper,  248;  Leaf  Penwiper,  249; 
Shaving-paper  Case,  250;  Garters,  250;  "Polly,  put  the  Kettle  on," 
251 ;  Turtle  Cloves,  251 ;  Another  Gift  with  Cloves,  252 ;  Pretty  Scent- 
cases,  252 ;  English  Walnut  Scent-cases,  252 ;  Walnut  Boats,  253 ;  Bureau 
Covers,  253;  Drawn-work,  253;  Crocheted  Mats,  257  ;  Pansy  Pincushion, 
258;  Parasol  Penwipers,  258;  Work-cases,  259;  Birchbark  Presents, 
259;  Straw  Wall-baskets,  260 ;  Feather  Screens,  261 ;  Spatter-work,  263 ; 
Shadow-pictures,  264 ;  Book-covers,  265 ;  Scent-cases  for  Trunks,  265 ; 
Cabin-bags,  266 ;  Work-aprons,  266 ;  Toothbrush-rack,  266 ;  Sand  bags 
for  Windows,  267 :  Shoe-cases,  267 ;  Bean-bags,  268 ,  A  Hemlock 
Pillow,  268 ;  Sachet  for  Linen-closet,  268 ;  Baby's  Blanket,  268 ;  Sum- 
mer Blankets,  269;  Napkin-bands,  269,  Embroidered  Linen,  269,  Shawl- 


CONTENTS,  ix 

PAGE 

bags,  ^^f*{  Bird's-nest  Penwiper,  270;  Glove-box,  270;  Plain  Sewing, 
271 ;  What  to  do  with  Autumn  Leaves,  271 ;  Fern-work,  272 ;  Barrel- 
chair,  273;  Decorated  Candles,  273;  A  Christmas-pie,  273;  A  Broom 
Penwiper,  274 ;  Tea  and  Egg  Coseys,  274. 

CHAPTER   III. 

Doll's  Houses  and  Make-believe  Housekeeping      ....    276 
Tomato-can  Box  Houses,  276;  Beds,  278;  Chairs  and  Home-made 
Furniture,  281. 

CHAPTER   IV. 

What  can  be  done  with  Tissue-Paper 283 

Tools,  283;  Patterns,  284;  Lamp-shades,  288. 

CHAPTER  V. 

Cardboard  and  its  Uses   ...  290 

Cardboard  Cottage,  290 ;  Perforated  Card,  292 ;  Crosses,  293. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Preserving  Autumn  Leaves,  Ferns,  etc 294 

Gathering  Ferns,  294 ;  Pressing  Leaves,  295 ;  Seaweeds,  295 ;  Drying 
Flowers,  296 ;  Skeletonizing  Leaves  and  Flowers,  297  ;  Mounting,  298. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

What  may  be  Done  with  Leather 299 

Materials,  299;  Tools,  299;  A  Spray  of  Ivy-leaves,  300;  Vine, 
Leaf,  and  Stalk,  303 ;  Convolvulus  Flowers  and  Leaves,  304 ;  Large 
Garden-rose,  306;  Mouldings,  307;  The  Redemption  of  the  Tin  Can, 
308 ;  Decorative  Leather,  316. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Wax  Flowers 318 

Wax,  318;  Patterns,  319;  Tools,  319;  White  Camellia,  320;  Leaves, 
322;  White  Jasmine,  324;  White  Pmk,  324;  China  Rose,  326;  Tea- 
rose,  329;  Stephanotis  and  Hoya,  333    Wax  Fruit,  334. 


X-  CONTENTS, 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Shells,  Mosses,  Pine-Cones,  etc 335 

Cement,  335;  Brackets,  335 ;  Shell  Pincushions,  336;  Mosses,  336; 
Cones,  336  J  Lawn  Flower-box,  337. 

CHAPTER  X. 

Wood-carving,  and  Light  Carpentering 339 

Manuals,  339 ;  Tools,  345 ;  Woods,  347 ;  Sharpening,  352 ;  Spray  of 
Ivy-leaves,  355  J  Light,  359;  Polishmg,  360. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Strawberry-Culture  for  Girls 561 

Ground,  362 ;  Plants,  362 ;  Varieties,  363 ;  Picking,  364 ;  Returns,  365. 

CHAPTER  XIL 

Small  Fruits,  Currants,  Raspberries,  and  Blackberries       .       .    367 
Land,  367 ;  Pruning,  367 ;  Raspberries,  368 ;  Profits,  369. 

CHAPTER  XIH. 

Canned  Fruit,  Jelly,  and  Preserves 371 

Glass  Cans,  37 1 ;  Jelly,  372 ;  Canning,  373 ;  Preserves,  374 ;  Profits,  375. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  Rearing  of  Poultry 37^ 

Hatching,  376;  Coops,  377 ;  Food,  377;  Roosts,  378;  Eggs  in  Win- 
ter,  379;  Profits,  379. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Canary-Birds,  their  Rearing  and  Training 380 

Pairing,  380;   Feeding,  381;  Hatching,  382;  Food,  382;  Training, 
382 ;  Diseases,  383. 


CONTENTS,  M 

CHAPTER   XVI. 

FAGB 

The  Honey-Bee 384 

Hives,  384;  Queen-bees,  384 ;  Eggs,  385;  Queen-rearing,  385 ;  Honey- 
making,  386;  Swarming,  387 ;  Italian  Bees,  388 ;  Profitsr389. 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Silk-Culture 390 

Mulberry-planting,  390;  Eggs,  390;  Hatching,  391;  Feeding,  391; 
Cocoons,  392;  Profits,  392;  Shrubs,  397. 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Floriculture 394 

Dress,  394 ;  Preparing  Ground,  394 ;  Plants,  395 ;  Seeds,  395. 

CHAPTER   XIX. 

Parlor-Gardening      . 399 

Compost,  399;  Flowers  and  Cuttings,  400;  Boxes,  400;  Bulbs,  401 ; 
Hanging-baskets,  402. 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Drawing  and  Designing 403 

Paper,  403;  Pencils,  403;  Geometrical  Drawing,  404;  Sketching,  405; 
Art  Manuals,  406. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
H0ME.MADE  Candy      . 407 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
A  New  Home  Industry 414 

CHAPTER  XXin. 

Cooking^lubs  and  Work  in  General 4So 

Cooking-clubs,  420 ;  Bread,  421 ;  Home-made  Things,  421 ;  Village 
Improvement  Society,  422 ;  Village  Library,  423  ;  Amusements,  423. 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Poll's  Furniture: —  pagb 

Reception  and  Rocking  Chair         ....••••  5 

Paper  Bed O 

Paper  Sofa 7 

Ottoman 8 

Rocking-chair 8 

Parlor  Table 9 

Mirror ...lO 

Bureau 10 

Washstand      ......                11 

Paper  Fly-boxes 13 

Paper  Caps  and  Cocked  Hats 14 

Paper  Boats 115 

Home  Store-keeping 17 

The  German  Dwarf 33 

The  Kentucky  Giant 34 

The  Elephant 35 

The  House  that  Jack  built 36,  37,  38 

Little  Miss  Muffet 39 

Name  in  Letter 45 

Goose  Puzzle 68 

Puzzle  Wall 69 

Plan  for  Tableau  Stage yi 

Monumental  Group 99 

Lawn  Tennis:  — 

Plan  of  Ground ij;^ 

Movement  of  Ball 163 

Position  of  Players 164 

xiii 


XIV  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS, 

hAVf  19  TEums,  continued:-  page 

Fall  of  Ball .165 

Fore  Overhand  Stroke 167 

Back  Overhand  Stroke 167 

Forward  Play 168 

Forward  Play  Underhand 169 

Back  Stroke 169 

Target-shooting,  Scoring-card      .       . 181 

Plan  for  Badminton 185 

Swimming  on  the  Chest 191 

Swimming  on  the  Side 193 

View  of  Aquarium 219 

Sectional  View  of  Slope-back  Tank 220 

Doll's  Dress-making  Patterns 237-246 

Baby-shoe  Penwiper 249 

"Polly  put  the  Kettle  on"  Holder 251 

Turtle  Cloves .       .    251 

Drawn-work 254, 255 

Pansy  Pincushion .       .    258 

Feather  Screens 261,  262 

Broom  Penwiper 274 

Doll's  Bed •       .    280 

Doll's  Bed  Canopy 280 

PiLi^Box  Chair 281 

Tissue-paper  Flowers 285,  286,  287 

Card-board  House 291 

Leather-work  Leaves 301,  302,  303,  304,  306 

Leather-work  Mouldings •        •    307 

Tin  Can  with  Wooden  or  Leather  Handle  and  Base  ...    309 

Tin  Can  decorated 31c 

Tin  Can  doubled  and  ornamented 311 

Tools  for  ornamenting  the  Leather 312 

Tin  Can  with  Basket  Handle 3^3 

Tin  Biscuit  or  Cracker  Box 3M 

Wax  Flowers      ....        320,  321,  324,  325,  326,  329,  331,  332,  333 

Lawn  Flower-box 337 

Tools  for  Wood-carving 34S»  35' 

Spray  of  Ivy-leaf  (wood-carving) 35S 


THE  AMERICAN  GIRL'S  HOME  BOOK. 


Part  First. 
INDOOR    PLAYS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

RAINY-DAY   AMUSEMENTS  AND    HOME-MADE  TOYS    FOR  YOUNGER 

CHILDREN. 

To  begin  with,  some  room  where  work  or  play  can  go  on 
without  interfering  with  the  elder  people  ought  to  be  set 
aside  in  every  family.  No  matter  how  small,  such  a  room  — 
with  long,  low  shelves  on  one  side,  and  a  long,  narrow  table 
on  the  other  —  will  give  space  for  the  keeping  of  all  the 
countless  odds  and  ends  that  have  their  value,  however  worth- 
less they  seem  to  others.  Supposing  there  are  four  children  : 
one  or  two  of  these  shelves  may  be  divided  into  compart- 
ments, where  the  special  property  of  each  can  be  kept ; 
while  the  full  length  of  another  may  be  reserved  for  boxes 
of  all  shapes  and  sizes,  holding  the  materials  to  be  used,  — 
in  one,  scraps  of  silk  and  lace  and  ribbon,  for  dolls'  dress- 
making; in  another,  cardboard  and  needles,  for  pricking 
pictures ;  in  another,  pictures  for  scrap-books ;  and  so  on 
through  the  long  list  of  articles  that  will  be  found  necessary 


2  RAINY-DA  V  AMUSEMENTS. 

both  for  work  and  play.  One  corner  should  be  given  to  the 
blunt  scissors,  the  pot  of  nicely  prepared  paste  (which  can 
now  be  bought  very  cheaply,  but  may  also  be  made  at 
home),  the  little  glue-pot,  which  will  often  be  needed,  and 
all  the  brushes  and  other  small  things  required.  Let  it  be 
a  rule  to  put  every  thing  back  in  its  place  as  soon  as 
used.  Wash  all  paint  or  paste  brushes,  so  that  they  may 
not  be  found  hard  and  sticky  when  wanted  again,  and  pick 
up  all  litter  of  every  sort.  In  this  way  there  will  never  be 
any  trouble  in  knowing  just  where  things  are ;  and,  whether 
the  day  is  rainy  or  pleasant,  here  will  be  a  place  always 
ready  for  work.  If  it  is  impossible  to  give  up  a  whole 
room  to  such  purposes,  a  closet  may  be  arranged  to  hold  all 
the  small  properties ;  but  even  one  end  of  a  room  is  better 
than  none,  and,  if  desired,  can  be  curtained  off,  and  hidden 
from  general  view.  Such  a  room  will  often  take  the  place 
of  school,  in  part  at  least ;  for  invention  is  stimulated,  and 
a  child  finds  out  what  can  be  done  without  depending  upon 
others.  In  any  case,  it  saves  worry  and  vexation.  The 
older  people  are  not  troubled  by  litter  in  unexpected  places ; 
and  the  younger  ones  know  that  here  is  a  spot  where  they 
have  full  right,  and  may  arrange  as  seems  good  to  them. 

COLORING    PICTURES. 

It  is  always  easier  to  color  a  picture  before  it  has  been 
cut  from  the  paper.  Let  it  lie  smoothly  before  you  on  the 
table.  Have  every  thing  ready  beforehand,  with  the  cup  of 
water  for  wetting  the  brushes,  two  or  more  of  which  will  be 
necessary  for  nice  work.  The  "  Kate  Greenaway "  paint- 
boxes are  of  tin,  and  made  with  hollow  spaces  opposite  the 
colors  for  mixing  different  shades  ;  as  red  and  blue  to  make 
purple,  or  yellow  and  blue  for  different  shades  of  green. 
There  are  books,  also,  in  which  a  colored  picture  is  on  one 


MAKING  SCRAP-BOOKS.         .  3 

page,  and  one  in  black  and  white,  to  be  colored  like  it,  on 
the  other.  These  are  very  expensive;  and  there  is  just  as 
much  pleasure  to  be  had  with  an  old  "  Harper's  Weekly,"  or 
any  good  illustrated  paper.  Think  what  the  colors  ought  to 
be  before  you  put  them  on.  Be  very  careful  not  to  run  over 
the  edges,  and  make  a  thing  look  swollen  or  jagged ;  and 
often  you  can  paint  a  picture  so  that  it  will  be  quite  pretty 
enough  to  paste  on  a  card  and  give  away,  or  to  put  in  a 
scrap-book  for  a  sick  child,  either  at  home  or  in  a  hospital. 

MAKING   SCRAP-BOOKS. 

These  are  of  two  sorts.  Where  they  are  to  be  turned 
over  and  over  by  little  fingers,  it  is  well  to  have  the  leaves 
made  of  strong,  thick  cotton  cloth ;  and  after  they  are  filled 
a  bright  cover  can  be  made,  and  the  whole  sewed  together. 
Colored  cambric  leaves  with  pinked  edges  are  also  used. 
But  it  is  best  to  begin  with  a  common  paper  book,  an  old 
copy-book  being  quite  as  good  as  a  new  one.  Cut  the 
pictures  out  very  carefully,  and  plan  how  to  arrange  them 
before  you  begin  work.  Sometimes  one  is  large  enough  to 
cover  a  page  ;  and  sometimes  one  can  be  put  in  the  middle, 
with  smaller  ones  at  each  corner.  To  paste  neatly  you  want 
smooth  paste,  a  small  but  broad  brush,  and  a  soft  clean 
cloth.  Lay  the  picture  on  its  face,  on  a  paper  spread  on 
the  table.  Take  only  a  little  paste  on  the  brush  at  once, 
and  cover  the  back  of  the  picture  thoroughly ;  then  lift  it 
carefully  and  lay  in  its  place,  dabbing  it  smooth  with  the 
small  cloth,  pressing  it  down,  and  wiping  away  any  particle 
of  paste  about  the  edges.  Paste  but  one  side  at  a  time,  and, 
when  nearly  dry,  iron  smooth  with  a  warm  iron,  when  the 
other  side  can  be  filled  if  you  want  both  covered.  A  book 
of  animals  can  be  made  the  pictures  colored  before  or  after 
pasting ;  and  it  is  very  easy,  now  that  pictures  are  so  plenty, 


4  ^       RAINY-DAY  AMUSEMENTS. 

to  have  them  on  special  subjects.  A  nice  rainy-day  game 
is  to  take  one  of  these  scrap-books,  and  make  up  stories 
about  the  pictures ;  the  best  time  for  this  being  the  twilight, 
when  you  cannot  see  any  longer  to  work  comfortably. 

A    PICTURE-PUZZLE. 

Take  a  picture  which  has  a  good  many  figures  in  it,  and 
color  it,  or  leave  it  plain  (though  coloring  will  be  best) ;  or  a 
small  bright  chromo  can  be  used.  Paste  it  carefully  on  a 
piece  of  stiff  pasteboard  the  same  size  :  an  old  box-lid  will 
often  answer  perfectly  well.  Let  it  get  thoroughly  dry,  then 
cut  it  into  pieces  not  over  two  inches  long  or  wide,  and  in 
any  shapes  you  choose.  Mix  the  pieces  all  together,  and 
then  try  to  put  them  in  such  order  as  to  make  the  picture 
again.  A  map  can  be  treated  in  the  same  way,  and  you 
will  have  just  as  amusing  and  interesting  a  "dissected "  map 
or  picture  as  can  be  bought  in  the  toy-stores.  **  Sliced  let- 
ters" may  be  made  on  the  same  plan.  Cut  large  letters 
from  advertising-bills  or  newspaper-headings  until  you  have 
enough,  then  paste  carefully,  and,  when  dry,  first  cut  out, 
and  then  cut  each  one  in  two  or  three  pieces.  To  put  them 
together  is  a  game  for  little  children  who  have  just  learned 
their  letters. 

PAPER  DOLLS  AND  FURNITURE. 

These  are  sold  in  every  toy-store  ;  the  dresses  and  furni- 
ture being  printed  on  thick  paper,  which  will  bear  a  good 
deal  of  handling,  ready  for  cutting  out.  In  the  country, 
where  it  may  not  be  easy  to  buy  them  ready-made,  a  doll 
can  be  cut  from  the  fashion-plate  of  a  magazine,  and  a  pat- 
tern made,  from  which  the  dresses  and  hats  may  be  cut.  If 
you  have  only  plain  white  paper,  it  can  be  colored  from  the 
paints  in  your  color-box ;  and  it  is  really  more  interesting  to 
plan  a  doll's  wardrobe  in  this  way  than  to  have  it  all  ready- 


PAPER  DOLLS  AND   FURNITURE.  5 

made.  Diagrams  for  bed,  chair,  table,  and  sofa,  are  given 
below ;  and  the  furniture  can  be  cut  from  bristol-board,  and 
colored,  or  from  thin,  smooth  pasteboard. 


In  cutting  out  this  furniture,  patterns  of  it  may  first  be 
taken  by  laying  a  piece  of  thin  paper  over  each  diagram, 
and  carefully  copying  every  line.     These  can  be  laid  on  the 


8 


RAINY-DAY  AMUSEMENTS. 


cardboard,  and  a  pencil-line  drawn  around  them.  There  are 
three  sorts  of  lines,  each  one  meaning  different  treatment, 
as  you  will  see  in  the  description  of   how  to  cut  out  the 


rocking-chair.  If  you  have  only  white  cardboard  to  use,  you 
will  have  to  paint  your  furniture,  —  either  dark-brown,  like 
walnut ;  or  in  colors,  like  the  enamelled  sets. 


PAPER  DOLLS  AND  FURNITURE,  9 

First  af  all,  cut  round  the  outside  of  the  rocking-chair ; 
and,  if  you  begin  by  cutting  off  the  greater  part  of  the  waste 
cardboard,  you  can  turn  your  scissors  more  easily.  Now  lay 
it  down ;  take  a  flat  ruler,  or  something  with  a  straight  edge, 


Pks.  7.  —  Parlor  Table. 

and  mark  over  all  the  parts  which  are  to  be  turned  dowuy 
with  the  point  of  your  scissors,  or  with  a  penknife,  but  not 
deep  enough  to  cut  through  :  these  parts  are  indicated  in 

little  dots ;  thus, (as  seen  in  the  lines  from  A  to 

A).     Now  the  lines  marked  thus are  to  be 

marked  in  the  same  manner ;  but,  as  those  parts  are  to 
be  turned  up^  you  must  mark  them  on  the  reverse  side. 


PAPER   DOLLS  AND   FURNITURE. 


II 


12       -  RAINY-DAY  AMUSEMENTS, 

As  there  are  no  lines  on  that  side,  make  a  little  hole  with 
the  point  of  a  pin  at  the  extreme  end  of  these  lines  (B  and 
B),  to  show  you  where  to  draw  your  knife  when  the  rocking- 
chair  is  turned  over.     Next  you  must  cut  through  the  lines 

marked  thus (as  seen  in  lines  from  C  to  C) : 

now  bend  the  parts  up  or  down,  as  the  lines  direct.  You 
will  find,  when  you  have  cut  out  and  bent  your  furniture  as 
directed,  little  tabs,  that  are  to  go  underneath,  to  gum  or  sew 
the  other  parts  to. 

CORK-WORK. 

Every  bit  of  gay-colored  yarn  or  worsted  works  into  pretty 
little  mats,  though  it  is  well  to  have  a  good  deal  of  either 
black  or  some  dark  color  as  contrast.  A  patent  spool  with 
wires  set  in  it,  and  a  catch  at  one  side  for  holding  the 
worsted,  is  now  sold ;  but  a  common  spool  answers  just  as 
well.  A  large  one  is  necessary ;  and  into  it  four  stout  pins 
are  set,  around  the  hole  in  the  middle,  and  close  to  the  edge. 
Then  wind  the  worsted  once  around  each  pin,  letting  it  be 
drawn  rather  tightly,  and  letting  the  end  at  which  you  begin 
be  long  enough  to  drop  down  through  the  hole  in  the  spool, 
and  be  used  to  gradually  pull  the  work  through.  Now,  hold- 
ing the  spool  and  the  worsted  in  the  left  hand,  wind  the 
worsted  round  so  as  to  begin  another  row.  Then  take  up 
the  loop  on  the  first  pin,  with  a  long  pin  or  needle,  and  pull 
it  out  toward  you  till  long  enough  to  lift  over  the  top  of  the 
pin  that  holds  it.  It  will  make  a  loop  like  a  crochet-stitch, 
which  must  be  pulled  tightly  enough  to  fasten  the  worsted 
firmly :  keep  on  with  this,  and,  as  the  work  grows,  pull  it 
down  through  the  hole  in  the  spool.  When  you  want  to 
fasten  on  another  color,  put  one  end  inside  the  spool-hole, 
and  hold  the  worsted  against  the  pin,  till  you  have  fastened 
it  by  a  fresh  loop.  The  work  makes  a  hollow  worsted  tube  ; 
and,  when  all  the  colors  are  used,  it  is  to  be  coiled  round  and 


PAPER  FLY-BOXES. 


13 


round,  sewing  it  together  on  the  wrong  side,  as  yo^i  go,  till 
you  have  a  round  mat,  which  can  be  lined  or  not  as  you  like, 
and  is  pretty  for  bureau  or  for  baby-house. 


PAPER    FLY-BOXES. 

Cut  a  piece  of  stiff  paper  six  inches  square.  Fold  paper 
from  A  D,  then  from  B  C,  making  creases.  Place  points 
A,  B,  D,  C,  successively,  to  centre  O,  making  creases  da^  etc. 
Fold  points  A,  B,  D,  and  C  respectively,  to  /,  g^  h,  and  ^, 
making  creases  op,  ij\  Ik,  and  mn.  Make  creases  ni,pl, 
jfUt  and  k  0.  Cut  out  small  triangles,  indicated  by  creases 
whose  bases  are  ia,  ap,  lb,  bj,  mc,  ck,  o d,  dn.     Cut  slits 


Fig.  II.  —  Box  Square  creased  for  cutting.    Fig.  12.  —  Box  Square  ready  for  folding. 

in  middle  of  lines  pi,jm.     Cut  slits  from  points  k,  o,  n, 
and  i,  towards^  and  x.     Cut  lines  op,  Ik,  to  m,  r,  s,  t. 

The  paper  now  appears  as  in  Fig.  1 2.  Fold  rs,  st,  t  u, 
u  r,  with  a  sharp  crease,  so  as  to  make  a  right  angle.  The 
square  r  s  t  u  forms  the  bottom  of  the  box.  Fold  ab,  be, 
cd,  da,  in  same  manner.  The  loose  squares  formed  in  cut- 
ting paper  to  r,  s,  t,  and  u,  fold  to  the  inside  of  box.  The 
points  A  and  C  are  folded,  and  stuck  through  slits  at  mj 
and  p  /,  and  the  box  is  complete. 


M 


RAINY-DA  Y  AMUSEMENTS. 


PAPER    CAPS    OR    COCKED    HATS. 


For  a  small  cocked  hat,  take  a  piece  of  firm  paper  seven 
inches  by  five,  and  fold  as  in  diagram. 


FxG.  13.  —  Hat  before  folding. 

I.  Fold  along  the  line  A  B,  doubling  the  paper. 
II.  Fold  along  the  lines  C  D  and  C  E. 

III.  Fold  along  the  line  D  E. 

IV.  Fold  the  corners  O  along  the  lines  O  P. 
Newspaper   or   brown  wrapping-paper   can  be    used    for 

larger  hats  ;  and,  if  the  corners  are  sewed  or  pinned,  they  will 
keep  in  shape  much  longer.  A  bright  feather  is  a  great 
addition. 


Fig.  14.  —  Cocked  Hat  as  folded. 


PAPER  BOATS. 


15 


PAPER   BOATS. 


To  make  a  paper  boat,  make  first  the  cocked  hat,  and  then 
continue  folding  according  to  following  directions  :  — 

I.  The  lines  C  D,  C  E,  D  E,  and  O  P,  having  been  folded, 
fold  along  the  line  C  F,  and  open  out  the  creases  C  D  and 


C  E,  thus  forming  a  square  C  D  F  G ;  the  corner  opposite 
F  being  lettered  G. 

II.  Fold  back  the  corners  D  and  E  until  they  touch  the 
corner  C,  making  a  triangle  CFG. 

III.  Flatten  the  creases  C  F  and  C  G,  bringing  the  corners 
F  and  G  together,  forming  a  new  square.  The  corners  D 
and  E  still  touch  the  corner  C  ;  draw  them  out  laterally,  and 
the  paper  assumes  the  shape  of  a  boat.     A  match  may  be 


Fig.  16.  —  Paper  Boat  as  folded 


put  in  the  centre  fold  for  mast,  first  running  it  through  a 
bit  of  paper  for  sail ;  and  a  fleet  of  these  little  boats  filled 
with  paper  sailors  can  be  navigated  either  in  wash  bowP  or 
bath-tub. 


l6  kAlNV-DA  Y  AMUSEMENTS. 


PRICKING    PICTURES. 


Where  kindergarten  materials  are  kept  in  bookstores, 
cards  on  which  outlines  of  animals,  flowers,  or  geometrical 
patterns,  are  drawn,  are  used  for  the  pricking ;  and  needles 
for  the  purpose  come  with  them.  Just  as  good  a  result  may 
be  had  at  home  by  tracing  a  pattern  on  stiff  paper.  Lay 
the  pattern  to  be  copied  against  the  window-pane,  and  the 
paper  over  it,  and  draw  the  outlines  very  carefully.  A 
coarse  needle,  or  a  large  black-headed  pin,  is  best  for  the 
pricking,  which  must  be  very  closely  done,  the  pricks  almost 
touching  one  another.  Very  pretty  lamp-shades  are  made 
in  this  way,  in  from  tour  to  eight  pieces ;  a  flower  or  some 
other  design  being  pricked  on  each  piece,  which  is  lined 
with  colored  paper,  bound,  and  fastened  at  top  and  bottom 
with  small  bows  of  ribbon.  For  little  children,  the  simple 
pricking  out  a  house  or  animal  is  always  an  amusement. 

SOAP-BUBBLES. 

The  coarser  the  soap,  the  brighter  and  bigger  the  bubble 
will  be.  A  set  of  common  clay  pipes  can  have  place  on  one 
of  the  shelves,  long  ones  giving  better  bubbles  than  those 
with  short  handles.  Dissolve  the  soap  in  warm  water  till 
it  is  a  mass  of  suds,  and,  if  you  want  your  bubble  to  last, 
never  throw  it  off  on  a  bare  floor  or  table,  but  always  on 
carpet,  or  something  of  rough  woollen.  Often  you  can  have 
a  whole  flock  of  the  lovely  balls  dancing  about  as  if  alive  ; 
and  the  big  people  are  very  likely  to  want  to  borrow  a  pipe 
"just  for  a  moment."  If  no  pipe  is  to  be  had,  a  very  large 
single  bubble  can  be  blown  by  covering  the  hands  with 
soapsuds  and  putting  them  together  so  as  to  make  a  cup 
open  a  little  at  the  bottom.  Hold  your  mouth  about  a  foot 
from  your  hands,  and  blow  steadily  and  strongly.     A  bubble 


KEEPING  STORE. 


17 


twit*4  AS  big  as  your  head  can  often  be  made,  but  it  bursts 
the  moment  it  touches  the  floor.  Mr.  Beard  describes 
smoke-bubbles,  which  every  Southern  child  knows  all  about. 
In  the  old  plantation  days  the  old  negroes  who  sat  in  the 
sun  or  by  the  fire  smoked  corn-cob  pipes.  The  children 
would  come  with  a  bowl  of  soapsuds,  start  a  bubble,  and 
then  hand  the  pipe  to  ''Uncle  Cassius,"  who  had,  in  the 
mean  time,  taken  a  long  pull  at  his  corn-cob,  and  filled  his 
mouth  with  smoke.  Some  of  them,  as  the  smoke  is  slowly 
blown  into  them,  will  look  like  lovely  opals.  Others  will 
seem  like  balls  of  milk-white  china,  and  will  roll  slowly 
over  the  floor  as  if  heavy,  like  china.  If  "  the  dog  chases 
and  catches  one  of  these  bubbles,  how  the  children  laugh  to 
see  the  astonished  and  injured  Jook  upon  his  face  !  and  what 
fun  it  is  to  see  him  sneeze,  and  rub  his  nose  with  his  paw ! 
Still  better  fun  is  to  have  two  or  three  lively  kittens  in  the 
room.  They  will  jump  after  them,  roll  over  and  over,  and 
never  stop  being  surprised  at  not  finding  them  in  their  paws." 

KEEPING   STORE. 

In  the  large  toy-stores,  tin  stores,  fitted  up  with  counter, 
scales,  and  boxes,  are  sold ;  but  quite  as  good  ones  can  be 
made  at  home.  An  older  brother  who  can  use  tools,  or  a 
carpenter,  must  be  called  upon  in  the  beginning,  who,  from 
a  smooth  and  well-finished  box  such  as  canned  fruits  come 
in,  can  make  a  back  for  the  store.  Half  of  the  top  and  sides 
should  be  taken  off,  so  that  the  shelves  can  be  easily  reached, 
leaving  the  bottom  for  floor.  Supposing  the  box  to  be  ten 
or  twelve  inches  high  and  wide,  and  eighteen  inches  long : 
after  half  of  the  top  and  sides  are  taken  away,  three  shelves 
are  to  be  made  at  the  back ;  the  lower  one  five  inches  from 
the  floor,  and  about  five  inches  wide,  the  other  two  not  over 
three  inches  wide,  and  some  two  inches  apart.     It  is  best  to 


1 8  RAINY-DAY  AMUSEMENTS. 

plan  for  a  country  store,  where  all  sorts  of  things  are  kept ; 
and  then,  with  a  division  in  the  middle  of  each  shelf,  dry- 
goods  and  fancy  articles  can  be  on  one  side,  and  groceries 
on  the  other.  The  pieces  which  come  off  the  box  will  make 
shelves,  and  a  counter  ten  inches  long,  five  inches  high, 
and  four  inches  broad,  which  must  be  fastened  to  the  side 
of  the  box,  and  closed  in  front.  Some  bits  of  cigar-box  or 
thin  shingle  can  be  used  to  make  a  little  drawer  for  change. 
When  all  is  finished,  the  nail-holes  can  be  filled  with  putty, 
and  the  store  either  painted  or  stained  a  dark  brown.  It  is 
easy  to  fit  up  the  dry-goods  side  with  miniature  pieces  of 
calico,  flannel,  and  silk,  little  rolls  of  ribbon,  ruffles,  and  all 
sorts  of  penny  toys,  and  bits  of  china.  For  the  grocery  side, 
more  trouble  is  needed.  Little  tea-chests  can  be  covered 
with  paper  saved  from  larger  ones,  and  small  spice-tins  do 
duty  for  coffee-cans  and  canned  goods,  or  pill-boxes  answer 
almost  as  well.  Tiny  tin  or  earthen  pans  can  hold  samples 
of  peas,  beans,  etc. ;  and  miniature  coffee-sacks,  etc.,  can  be 
made  of  coarse  bagging.  There  is  no  limit  to  what  can  be 
done  toward  making  it  seem  a  real  store. 

A  supply  of  paper  money  must  be  made,  and  this  may  be 
the  work  of  an  older  brother  or  sister.  Thin  pasteboard 
must  be  cut  in  circles,  or  visiting-cards  or  old  postal-cards 
can  be  used,  cut  in  the  sizes  of  a  five,  ten,  and  twenty-five 
cent  piece,  and  silver  paper  pasted  on  neatly.  When  dry, 
they  may  be  merely  marked  plainly,  5  cents,  10  cents,  etc., 
or  may  be  lettered  as  nearly  in  imitation  of  the  real  pieces 
as  possible.  Bills  may  be  cut  from  tinted  linen  paper,  and 
colored  to  imitate  real  ones.  Where  the  thin  gold  or  silver 
paper  is  used,  it  soon  tears,  unless  pasted  on  a  stiff  back  ; 
but  a  little  box  of  well-made  money  will  last  a  generation  of 
children  if  always  put  away  after  using.  Toy  scales  can  be 
made  where  the  expense  of  buying  druggist's  scales  seems 
too  great. 


KEEPING  STORE, 


19 


20  RAINY-DA  Y  AMUSEMENTS. 

There  is  no  more  delightful  way  of  taking  in  some  of  the 
mysteries  of  arithmetic  than  in  making  change ;  and  I  have 
known  one  case  where  French  and  German  and  English 
money  was  also  used,  and  the  exercise  stimulated  by  real 
candy,  nuts,  etc.,  in  the  small  jars.  There  must  be  a  little 
flour-barrel,  sugar-boxes,  etc. ;  and,  if  a  pair  of  druggist's 
or  any  very  small  scales  can  be  had,  this  will  prove  one  of 
the  surest  of  amusements  for  both  pleasant  and  rainy  days. 

HOME    NEWSPAPERS. 

Those  who  doubt  if  there  can  be  any  fun  in  this  are 
referred  to  '*  Little  Women,"  and  the  newspaper  edited  and 
owned  by  Jo  and  Beth  and  the  rest.  If  the  boys,  or  girls 
either,  own  a  home  printing-press,  it  can  come  out  in  real 
newspaper  shape ;  and  hundreds  are  now  printed  in  this  way. 
But  there  is,  perhaps,  as  much  pleasure  in  the  one  which 
depends  altogether  on  the  pen,  a  large  sheet  of  congress 
paper  being  divided  into  three  columns  to  the  page,  with 
news  and  a  story,  and  paragraphs  of  all  sorts ;  each  variety 
having  its  own  special  writer.  Nobody's  feelings  are  hurt 
by  rejected  articles  ;  for  whatever  is  written  has  its  place, 
and  it  may  be  made  as  large  or  as  small  as  seems  best. 

HOME    POST-OFFICES. 

I  wonder  if  any  child  takes  the  delight  in  these  that  I 
shared  in  my  own  childhood  with  the  cronies  who  spent  long 
Saturday  afternoons  writing  the  letters.  Sometimes  I  was 
Robinson  Crusoe,  and  the  letters  were  from  my  friends,  who 
advised  me  what  to  do.  Sometimes  it  was  fairies  who  wrote, 
sometimes  giants  ;  and  often  we  were  all  grown  up,  and  wrote 
about  our  families,  and  all  our  difficulties  in  bringing  them 
up.  A  letter-box  can  be  fastened  in  one  corner  of  the  work- 
room, and  opened  on  any  day  selected.     A  real  postman's 


HOME  NEWSPAPERS. 


21 


The   Weekly   Budget. 

"Infinite  Riches  in  a  Little  Room." 

Poetrs, 

f^0me  Utemg. 

iF0rei'jD(n, 

ODE. 







T.K. 



STelegrapfjic. 



• • 

.* 

-^ 



. 

22  RAINY-DAY  AMUSEMENTS. 

bag  can  be  made,  and  "  one  of  the  boys  "  chosen  to  deliver 
them  all.  Save  the  stamps  from  old  letters,  and  cut  them 
down.  And  old  envelopes  can  also  be  turned,  and  cut  into 
smaller  ones,  if  you  have  not  the  little  boxes  of  little  sta- 
tionery sold  now  for  children.  I  know  of  one  family  where 
one  child  went  to  Italy,  and  another  to  Norway, — make- 
believe,  of  course,  —  and  each  wrote  to  the  other  all  the 
things  she  saw.  No  matter  what  you  choose  to  write  about, 
there  is  always  excitement  in  opening  the  letters,  for  some- 
times the  big  people  drop  in  one ;  and  it  may  be  a  little 
scolding,  which  can  be  more  easily  borne  in  this  way,  or 
perhaps  an  invitation  or  a  plan  for  something  pleasant. 

In  a  chapter  of  this  nature  not  much  more  than  hints  and 
suggestions  can  be  given.  There  are  countless  quiet  games 
for  a  rainy  day  or  home  evenings.  Jack-straws  are  old-fash- 
ioned, but  always  interesting.  Mrs.  Mary  Mapes  Dodge  has 
an  excellent  set  of  games,  published  by  Charles  Scribner's 
Sons ;  and  there  are  consequences,  and  the  game  of  authors, 
and  word-games  with  letters,  to  say  nothing  of  dominos  and 
checkers,  loto,  fox-and-geese,  solitaire,  and  the  whole  host  of 
puzzles  and  games  in  general.  Only  do  not  have  too  many ; 
for,  though  names  multiply,  many  are  simply  old  acquaint- 
ances in  new  dress.  Your  own  invention  can  often  plan 
some  new  form  ;  and,  in  the  chapters  that  follow,  you  will 
find  many  which  can  be  altered  to  suit  circumstances. 


A    CHILDREN'S  PARTY  AND    THE   GAMES  PLAYED.      23 


CHAPTER     II. 

A   CHILDREN'S    PARTY   AND   THE    GAMES   THEY   PLAYED. 

It  was  a  sensible  party  ;  and  that,  you  see,  made  it  at  once 
different  from  all  every-day  parties.  The  children  did  not 
come  from  eight  in  the  evening  to  midnight,  dressed  in  silk 
and  lace,  and  jewelry  even,  like  their  grown-up  sisters.  Nor 
did  they  think  that  dancing,  and  a  band,  and  a  great  supper, 
were  a  necessary  part  of  the  invitation,  which  read  "  From 
4  to  8  P.M.,"  and  had  in  one  corner,  "Old-fashioned  plays." 

As  you  grow  older,  you  will  often  hear  two  sentences  used 
by  everybody ;  some  knowing  just  what  they  mean,  and 
many,  not  at  all.  But  they  are  used  all  the  same,  and  are, 
"the  law  of  natural  selection,"  and  "the  survival  of  the 
fittest;"  applying  just  as  much  to  plays  as  to  people,  and 
meaning  for  us  that  boys  and  girls,  almost  from  the  very 
beginning  of  the  world,  have  had  sense  enough  to  make 
plays  that  were  pleasant,  and  suitable  for  the  place  they 
were  to  be  played  in,  and  that,  where  there  were  too  many, 
they  were  weeded  out,  and  only  those  lived  that  were  good 
and  pleasant  everywhere.  All  the  boys  the  world  has  ever 
held  have  played  ball  and  marbles,  and  flown  kites,  and 
had  "buzzers  "  and  "bull-roarers,"  or  something  that  would 
make  a  dreadful  noise ;  and  all  the  girls  have  had  dolls,  and 
played  house,  and  all  the  other  girl's  games.  And  so  with 
"forfeits  "  and  "stage-coach  "  and  "button,"  and  many  other 
games  under  one  name  and  another.  They  are  sure  to  amuse 
if  well  done.     We  are  far  too  fond  of  endless  variety ;  and 


24     A    CHILDREN'S  PARTY  AND    THE   GAMES  PLAYED. 

there  is  more  real  pleasure  in  a  few  well-understood  and 
well-played  games  than  in  dozens  of  new  ones,  which  are 
really  often  only  changes  rung  on  the  old.  So  if  you  have 
been  spoiled  in  this  way,  and  think  no  game  should  ever  be 
played  twice  in  the  same  way,  you  must  look  in  some  of  the 
many  books  of  "  home  amusements,"  and  make  your  choice 
there.  The  children  at  this  party  began  with  "stage-coach," 
because  seven  of  the  twenty  were  strangers,  and  this  game 
gave  them  a  chance  to  look  at  one  another,  and  get  ac- 
quainted, first  slowly,  then  all  at  once  as  a  great  rush  came. 
Curiously  enough,  perhaps  because  it  is  so  old,  it  is  given  in 
but  one  of  many  books  of  plays  I  have  examined. 

STAGE-COACH. 

This  is  sometimes  called  "The  Family  Coach."  The 
players  sit  as  nearly  in  a  row  as  possible,  and  each  one  re- 
ceives the  name  of  something  connected  with  the  coach,  as 
in  the  form  given,  in  which  a  story  is  told,  introducing  all 
the  different  characters  ;  as,  for  instance,  — 

Tke  Driver. 

Whip. 

Right  Wheel. 

Two  Horses y  —  one  Grayy  one  Black, 

Miss  Stacy  s  Box, 

The  Old  Woman, 

The  Parrot  (this  ought  to  be  the  youngest  child). 

The  Old  Woman's  Basket. 

The  Man  with  a  Long  Beard, 

The  Girl  with  a  Red  Hat. 

The  Stage-coach. 

Other  parts  of  the  coach,  such  as  axle,  or  door,  or  other 
passengers,  can  be  added  if  they  are  needed,  and  the  story 
altered  so  as  to  bring  them  in. 


STAGE-COACH. 


25 


The  characters  who  are  Italicized  get  up  and  turn  around 
as  their  names  are  mentioned ;  and,  as  has  been  said,  at 
"  Stage-coach^''  every  one  gets  up  at  the  same  time,  and  turns 
around  once,  until  it  upsets,  and  they  all  rush  to  change  seats. 

**  One  day  I  wanted  to  go  from  Albany  to  New  York  in 
the  Stage-coach.  It  always  started  very  early  in  the  morning, 
but  every  thing  made  me  late.  I  overslept  myself;  breakfast 
was  not  ready  ;  my  boots  were  stiff,  and  hard  to  put  on ;  all 
seven  of  the  children  had  to  be  hunted  up  and  kissed  good- 
by ;  my  wife  had  fifty  jast  directions ;  and  at  the  last  moment, 
as  I  rushed  off,  out  came  Miss  Stacy,  the  milliner,  with 
a  Box  she  wanted  me  to  carry  to  her  mother.  I  hadn't  a 
moment  to  spare,  and  I  rushed  down  the  street  as  if  I  was 
crazy;  but  to  my  delight,  when  I  reached  the  inn,  there  stood 
the  Driver  snapping  his  Whip^  and  now  and  then  patting 
the  Gray  Horse. 

"  *  My  goodness  ! '  I  cried  :  *  I  expected  the  Stage  had 
gone.' 

"  *  Gone  ! '  said  the  Driver.  *  Not  much,  if  an  Old  Woman 
can  hinder  you.' 

"  *  Go  without  her,'  called  a  Man  with  a  Long  Beardy  put- 
ting his  head  out  of  the  Door. 

"  *  Here  she  comes,'  said  the  Driver;  and  he  snapped  his 
Whip  again,  and  got  up  on  his  box. 

"The  Old  Woman  was  pretty  stout;  but  she  came  steadily 
along,  carrying  a  Basket  in  both  hands,  with  her  bonnet 
swinging  on  the  back  of  her  head. 

"  *  I  was  half  afraid  I  might  be  late,'  the  Old  Woman  §aid. 

**  *  Come,  get  in,  get  in ! '  cried  the  Man  with  a  Long 
Beard.  And  he  flung  open  the  Door^  and  the  Old  Woman 
climbed  in,  and  I  after  her ;  and  the  Mart  zvith  a  Long  Beard 
banged  the  Door  fast,  the  Driver  snapped  his  Whip,  and 
the  Gray  Horse  gave  a  pull,  and  that  wakened  up  the  Black 


26      A    CHILDREN'S  PARTY  AND    THE   GAMES  PL  A  YED. 

one ;  and  so  the  Stage-coach  started  off.  In  front  of  the  Old 
Woman  sat  a  young  Girl  with  a  Red  Hat,  who  was  forever 
putting  her  head  out  of  the  window  to  watch  the  Right 
Wheely  which  she  said  she  knew  would  break  down.  She 
had  noticed  it  as  she  got  in  the  Door. 

"  I  put  my  Box  on  the  floor,  and  the  Old  Woman  put  her 
Basket  by  it,  and  then  the  Man  with  a  Long  Beard  began  to 
talk  of  robbers. 

"'It  was  only  last  week,'  he  said,  'that  a  Stage-coach 
going  to  Rochester  was  stopped  by  ,two  men  in  masks, 
who  * — 

"  '  You'd  better  believe  it  ! '  said  a  strange  voice. 

"  The  Man  with  a  Long  Beard  looked  at  the  Girl  with  a 
Red  Hat,  and  she  put  her  head  out  of  the  window  as  if  the 
Right  Wheel  had  spoken. 

" '  Who,'  continued  the  Man  with  a  Long  Beard,  *  pulled 
out  pistols,  and  '  — 

"  '  Stuff ! '  said  the  voice. 

"  Then  the  Man  with  a  Long  Beard  looked  at  me,  and 
I  looked  at  the  Girl  with  a  Red  Hat,  and  she  looked  at  the 
Old  Woman,  who  looked  at  my  Box.     This  made  me  mad. 

" '  There's  nothing  in  that  Box  that  isn't  right,'  I  said. 

"  *Nor  in  my  Basket^  said  the  Old  Woman  ;  *and,  if  that 
Black  Horse  don't  run  away,  I'll  be  surprised.' 

"  *  I'll  eat  him  with  a  grain  of  salt,'  said  the  voice ;  and  the 
Girl  with  a  Red  Hat  screamed ;  and  the  Driver  pulled  up 
both  of  his  Horses^  and  dropped  his  Whip  under  the  Right 
Wheel ;  and  the  Man  with  a  Long  Beard  flung  open  the 
Door,  put  his  foot  in  my  ^^;r,  upset  the  Old  Woman  s  Basket ; 
and  out  jumped  a  great  green  Parrot,  screaming,  *Fire! 
Fire  ! '  and  this  frightened  the  Horses,  and  over  went  the 
Stage-coach  down  the  hill." 

If  any  one  forgets  to  answer  to  the  name  given,  a  forfeit  is 


BUFF.  27 

paid.  These  forfeits  were  not  redeemed  till  various  other 
forfeit-games  had  been  played,  each  pledge  being  put  on  a 
little  table  in  the  corner.  Before  any  one  had  begun  to  be 
tired  of  "stage-coach,"  "buff"  was  started;  and  this  is  the 
way  they  played  it. 

BUFF. 

This,  like  many  of  the  games  is  only  a  way  of  collecting 
forfeits.  One  of  the  players  comes  forward  with  a  poker, 
and  knocks  on  the  floor  three  times.  "  Whence  come  you  .-^  " 
one  of  the  company  asks.  "  I  come  from  poor  Buff,  full  of 
sorrow  and  care."  —  "  And  what  did  Buff  say  to  you  ?  '* 

"Buff  said,  *Bu£E!' 
And  he  gave  me  this  staff, 
And  he  bade  me  not  laugh 
Till  I  came  to  Buff's  house  again.'* 

With  this  the  poker  is  handed  to  the  questioner.  But  before 
this  is  done  all  have  been  trying  to  make  the  poker-bearer 
laugh.  If  there  is  even  the  faintest  smile,  a  forfeit  is  paid. 
Sometimes  the  rhyme  is  like  this  :  — 

"  Buff  says  '  Buff '  to  all  his  men, 
And  I  say  '  Buff '  to  you  again. 
Buff  he  neither  laughs  nor  smiles, 
In  spite  of  all  your  cunning  wiles, 
But  keeps  his  face  with  a  very  good  grace. 
And  carries  his  staff  to  the  very  next  place." 

The  poker  is  handed  from  one  to  another  till  each  has  said 
the  rhyme,  and  it  must  pass  from  hand  to  hand  as  rapidly 
as  possible.  Only  seven  of  the  twenty  kept  a  perfectly 
sober  face ;  and  they  were  not  the  seven  strangers,  who  by 
this  time  were  not  strangers  at  all,  and  who,  when  all  the 
fr  rfeits  had  been  redeemed,  were  ready  for 


28      A    CHILDREN'S  PARTY  AND    THE   GAMES  PLAYED. 


MAGIC   MUSIC. 

In  this  game  one  child  is  sent  out  of  the  room,  and  any 
one  who  can  play  the  piano  tolerably  takes  a  place  there. 
A  pair  of  gloves,  or  any  small  object,  must  be  hidden,  and 
the  banished  one  called  in ;  and  the  business  of  the  player 
is  to  indicate  by  the  music  when  the  seeker  comes  near  the 
hiding-place.  When  at  the  greatest  distance,  the  music  is 
very  low,  and  as  mournful  as  possible  ;  as  it  is  more  nearly 
approached,  the  tones  are  louder  and  louder ;  and,  when  found, 
there  should  be  a  triumphal  march  or  a  gay  reel.  The  game 
is  varied  by  choosing  something  the  player  is  to  do,  and 
letting  the  music  show  what  it  is.  This  is  a  game  for  chil- 
dren from  eight  to  twelve,  though  I  have  seen  older  ones 
enjoy  it. 

Then  came  an  old-fashioned  guessing  game  :  — 

HOW    DO    TOU     LIKE     IT.?        WHEN     DO     YOU     LIKE    IT.?       AND 
WHERE    DO  •  YOU    LIKE    IT  } 

In  this,  one  of  the  company  is  sent  out,  and  the  rest 
choose  some  article  or  object  with  several  different  mean- 
ings, which  she,  on  her  return,  must  endeavor  to  discover 
by  asking  the  three  questions,  "  How  do  you  like  it } "' 
"When  do  you  like  it.?"  and  "Where  do  you  like  it.?" 
The  one  whose  reply  betrays  the  secret  pays  a  forfeit,  and 
changes  places  with  the  questioner. 

Example. 
Fanny  leaves  the  room  :  her  companions,  having  in  her 
absence  decided  on  the  word  "box,"  recall  her. 
Fanny.     Jane,  how  do  you  like  it .? 
Jane.     Of  Chinese  workmanship. 
Fanny.     And  you,  Clara  .? 


now  DO    YOU  LIKE  IT?  29 

Clara.     Not  too  crowded. 

Fanny.     Mary  ? 

Mary.     Lined  with  crimson  velvet. 

Fanny.     Now,  Agnes. 

Agnes.     Filled  with  pleasant  people 

Fanny.     Martha,  it  is  your  turn. 

Martha.     Green  and  flourishing. 

Fanny.     Constance } 

Constance.     Well  cushioned. 

Fanny.     And  Ellen  1 

Ellen.     Inlaid  with  silver. 

Fanny.     Annie } 

Annie.     Not  too  hard. 

Fanny.     Come,  Emily. 

Emily.     Large  and  handsome. 

Fanny.     And  when  do  you  like  it } 

Jane.     When  I'm  at  work. 

Clara.     In  the  evening,  after  nine  o'clock. 

Mary.     At  any  time. 

Agnes.     Some  day  next  week. 

Martha.     At  all  seasons  of  the  year. 

Constance.     Whenever  I  can  get  it  given  me. 

Ellen.     On  my  next  birthday. 

Annie.     When  I  have  neglected  my  music-lesson. 

Emily.     Next  time  I  go  a  journey. 

Fanny.     And  now  where  do  you  like  it } 

Jane.     On  my  table. 

Clara.     At  the  opera. 

Mary.     On  my  toilet. 

Agnes.    At  the  theatre. 

Martha.     In  my  garden. 

Constance.     In  the  best  circle. 

Ellen.     Where  it  can  be  seen  and  admired. 


30      A   CHILDREN'S  PARTY  AND    THE   GAMES  PLAYED. 

Annie.     On  my  ear. 

Emily.     In  my  dressing-room. 

If  Fanny  is  still  unable  to  guess  the  word,  she  pays  a 
forfeit,  and  again  leaves  the  room :  if  not,  the  one  from  whom 
she  guesses  it  changes  places  with  her. 

There  was  not  time  for  more  than  two  more  games  before 
supper ;  and,  as  the  children  were  tired  of  sitting  still,  one 
of  the  older  ones  proposed 

HUNT-THE-SLIPPER. 

All  the  players  but  one  are  placed  in  a  circle :  that  one 
remains  inside  to  hunt  the  slipper,  which  is  passed  from 
hand  to  hand  very  rapidly  in  the  circle.  The  hunter  can- 
not judge  where  it  is,  because  all  the  players  keep  their 
hands  moving  all  the  time,  as  if  they  were  passing  it.  The 
one  in  whose  hand  it  is  caught  becomes  the  hunter,  and 
pays  a  forfeit.  Usually  little  girls  play  sitting  side  by  side, 
very  close  to  each  other,  on  low  stools,  or  resting  upon  their 
feet.  If  the  company  be  sufficiently  numerous,  it  is  better 
to  have  two  circles,  one  within  another,  sitting  face  to  face, 
resting  on  their  feet,  with  their  knees  bent  forward  so  as  to 
meet  each  other :  in  this  way  a  sort  of  concealed  arch  is 
formed,  through  which  the  slipper  may  be  passed  unper- 
ceived.  There  should  be  two  slight  openings  in  the  circle, 
one  on  one  side,  and  the  other  opposite.  When  the  slipper 
is  passing  through  these  openings,  the  player  who  passes  it 
should  tap  it  on  the  floor  to  let  the  hunter  know  where  it 
is.  She  springs  to  seize  ii ;  but  it  is  flying  round  so  rapidly, 
and  all  hands  are  moving  so  fast,  that  she  loses  it,  and  in 
less  than  an  instant,  perhaps,  she  hears  it  tapping  on  the 
other  side.  This  game  may  be  played  rudely,  and  it  may 
be  played  in  a  ladylike  manner.  If  little  girls  are  rude,  they 
are  in  great  danger  of  knocking  each  other  down  in  trying 


THE  EMPEROR   OF  MOROCCO.  3 1 

to  catch  the  slipper ;  for  cowering  upon  their  feet,  as  they 
do  in  this  game,  they  easily  lose  their  balance.  It  is  best 
for  the  hunter  never  to  try  to  catch  the  slipper,  except  at 
the  two  openings  in  the  circle :  then  there  is  no  danger  of 
tumbling  each  other  down.  Some  prefer  playing  this  game 
with  a  thimble  or  a  marble,  because  it  is  not  so  likely  to  be 
seen  as  a  slipper.  If  any  one  happens  to  drop  the  slipper 
in  passing  it,  she  must  pay  a  forfeit. 

Then  came,  when  they  were  quite  out  of  breath  with 
laughing  over  the  slipper :  — 

THUS   SAYS   THE   GRAND   MUFTI. 

This  is  a  favorite  game  among  children.  One  stands  up 
in  a  chair,  who  is  called  the  Grand  Mufti.  He  makes  what- 
ever motion  he  pleases ;  such  as  putting  his  hand  on  his 
heart,  stretching  out  his  arm,  smiting  his  forehead,  making 
up  a  sorrowful  face,  etc.  At  each  motion  he  says,  "  Thus 
says  the  Grand  Mufti,"  or  "So  says  the  Grand  Mufti." 
When  he  says,  "  Thus  says  the  Grand  Mufti,"  every  one 
must  make  just  such  a  motion  as  he  does  ;  but  when  he  says, 
"  So  says  the  Grand  Mufti,"  every  one  must  keep  still.  A 
forfeit  for  a  mistake.     A  game  very  much  like  this  is  called, 

THE  EMPEROR  OF   MOROCCO. 

In  this  game  two  of  the  players  must  walk  solemnly 
toward  one  another,  bow  ceremoniously  without  a  smile,  and 
look  steadily  at  one  another  while  they  repeat  the  following 
dialogue :  — 

First  Player.     The  Emperor  of  Morocco  is  dead. 

Second  Player.     I'm  very  sorry  for  it. 

First  Player.     He  died  of  the  gout  in  his  left  great  toe 

Second  Player.     I'm  very  sorry  for  it. 


32      A    CHILDREN'S  PARTY  AND   THE  GAMES  PLAYED, 

First  Player.  And  all  the  court  are  to  go  in  mourning, 
and  wear  black  rings  through  their  noses. 

Second  Player.     I'm  very  sorry  for  it. 

They  then  bow  again,  and  retire  to  their  places,  while 
another  pair  comes  forward  to  go  through  the  same  impres- 
sive dialogue ;  and  so  on,  till  the  game  has  gone  all  round 
the  circle ;  a  forfeit  being  the  penalty  for  the  slightest 
approach  to  a  giggle.  By  the  time  almcvst  every  one  had 
giggled,  and  the  stand  in  the  corner  was  covered  again 
with  forfeits,  supper  was  ready,  it  being  exactly  half -past  six ; 
and  every  one  was  so  hungry,  that  the  piled-up  table  very 
soon  showed  empty  dishes,  and  more  sandwiches  had  to  be 
brought  in.  The  supper  was  as  sensible  as  the  hours,  — 
plenty  of  delicious  sandwiches,  three  sorts,  made  from  tongue, 
ham,  and  chicken  ;  light,  delicate  cake,  but  no  heavy,  rich 
fruit-cake ;  custards  in  pretty  cups ;  plenty  of  ice-cream  and 
fruit,  but  no  candy,  save  that  to  be  found  in  the  piles 
of  "crackers,"  which  they  pulled  after  supper,  each  child 
putting  on  the  caps  they  held. 

When  they  entered  the  parlors  again,  the  curtains  across 
the  deep  bay-window  were  drawn ;  the  chairs  were  in  rows 
as  if  ready  for  a  lecture,  and  a  table  stood  half  hidden  by 
the  curtains,  on  which,  as  soon  as  all  were  in  their  places, 
suddenly  appeared  what  was  announced  to  be 

THE    GERMAN    DWARF. 

For  this  entertainment  two  people  are  needed,  and  there 
must  be  a  loose  and  very  gorgeous  jacket  with  large  sleeves. 
This  may  be  made  from  turkey-red  covered  with  gilt 
spangles,  or  from  some  bright  chintz.  The  one  who  is  to  do 
the  speaking  dresses  his  arms  to  represent  legs,  and  puts  his 
hands  into  a  pair  of  high  shoes,  though  patent-leather  boots 
are  much  better.     A  cap  or  hat  with  many  plumes  finishes 


THE   GERMAN  DWARF. 


33 


the  costume.  Behind  him  stands  the  acting  player,  who 
thrusts  his  arms  under  the  make-believe  legs  of  the  speaker, 
and  fits  them  into  the  sleeves  of  the  jacket.  Then  the 
speaker  puts  his  hands  on  the  table,  and  a  third  person 
draws  and  pins  the  curtain,  so  that  no  one  can  see  the  per- 
formers. The  dwarf  looks  amiably  about,  and  then  begins  a 
speech.     He  may  be  an  Irish  or  French  dwarf,  but  must  use 


Fig.  i8.  —  The  German  Dwarf. 


a  good  many  phrases  from  whatever  language  is  his  own. 
In  the  mean  time,  the  actor  uses  his  arms  in  making  extraor- 
dinary gestures.  Then  the  dwarf  dances  his  national  dance, 
somebody  playing  the  music  for  him,  and  the  hands  do 
what  they  please  ;  the  whole  being  so  real,  that  every  child 
will  insist  that  it  is  truly  a  dwarf. 
The  curtains  were  drawn   suddenly  while   he  was  still 


34     A    CHILDREN'S  PARTY  AND    THE   GAMES  PLAYED. 


dancing.     There  was  a  little  rustle  and  moving  about,  and 
then  they  parted  suddenly,  and  out  came 

THE  KENTUCKY  GIANT  AND  THE  KENTUCKY  GIANT's  WIFE. 

For  this  two  very  long  cloaks  must  be  made  of  black  cam- 
bric. Two  tall  boys  are  necessary  to  play  the  giant's  part, 
as  in  the  cut  given,  where  one  is  perched  on  the  shoulders 
of  the  other,  and  wears  a  high  hat  with  a  feather  in  it. 

This  is  one  way ;  but  a  simpler  one  is  to  make  the  giant  on 
the  same  plan  as  the  giant's  wife.  In  this  case  a  long  cane 
is  taken,  and  a  piece  of  lath  eighteen  inches 
long  is  fastened  about  five  inches  from  the 
top.  The  person  who  is  to  play  the  part  of 
the  giantess  first  puts  on  a  long  skirt.  An 
old  bonnet  is  tied  firmly  on  the  end  of  the 
cane,  and  the  black  cloak  just  below  it ; 
the  piece  of  lath  holding  it  out,  and  rep- 
resenting the  shoulders.  A  large  blanket- 
shawl  can  be  used  instead  of  the  cloak,  the 
ends  of  either  hiding  perfectly  the  head  of 
the  player.  The  cane  must  be  held  firmly  ; 
and  the  giantess,  as  she  walks  in  to  the  room, 
can  look  for  a  nail  in  the  wall ;  then  stoop 
down  to  the  keyhole  in  the  door,  at  the 
same  time  lowering  the  cane  ;  then  rise  very 
gradually,  standing  finally  on  tiptoe,  and  slowly  raising  the 
cane,  till  the  bonnet  is  as  near  the  ceiling  as  possible.  The 
giant's  hat  can  be  managed  in  the  same  way,  and  this  one 
made  a  little  speech,  telling  where  he  and  his  wife  were  born, 
and  how  they  happened  to  grow  so  tall,  all  the  time  short- 
ening or  lengthening,  so  that  the  children  screamed  with 
laughter.  Then  in  a  minute  both  had  gone  behind  the  cur- 
tains.    There  was  another  little  rustle,  and  then  out  walked 


Fig.  19. 


THE  &LEPHANT. 


35 


Fig  20. 


THE   ELEPHANT. 

For  this,  two  boys  are  needed,  who  must  stand  as  shown 
in  the  cut,  one  boy  representing  the  hind,  and  the  other  the 
fore  legs.  A  thick  quilt  or  comfortable  must  be  doubled 
three  or  four  times,  and  laid  on  their  backs.  Over  this  throw 
a  very  large  gray  blanket 
or  travelling-shawl,  twisting 
one  end  to  imitate  the  trunk, 
and  the  other  more  tightly 
for  the  tail.  Two  black  but- 
tons may  be  pinned  on  for 
eyes,  and  two  long  paper 
cones  for  tusks.  A  third 
person  must  lead  in  the  ele- 
phant, and  must  lecture  on  its  wonderful  intelligence  and 
its  great  gentleness,  proving  the  latter  quality  by  lying 
down,  and  letting  the  elephant  walk  over  him.  This  can 
be  made  very  funny  by  bright  players.  Many  other  ani- 
mals are  possible,  a  rhinoceros  and  hippopotamus  among 
them,  their  skins  being  well  imitated  by  the  gray  blanket  or 
shawl.  As  the  elephant  was  led  out,  the  children  sat  won- 
dering what  it  could  be,  till  suddenly  one  of  them  remem- 
bered the  forfeits.  There  was  no  time  to  redeem  many ;  but 
there  was  great  laughing  over  some  of  them,  and  I  have  put 
them,  with  many  others  which  could  have  been  used,  in  a 
chapter  by  themselves. 

And  now  came  something  they  had  not  expected,  —  a 
magic-lantern  exhibition,  very  simple,  because  all  the  pic- 
tures had  been  made  at  home.  A  large  sheet  was  pinned 
against  the  curtains  of  the  deep  window,  and  the  lantern  put 
on  a  high  table  in  the  back  of  the  room.  The  gas  was  low- 
ered to  just  a  point ;  and  one  of  the  children  who  gave  the 


36     A    CHILDREN'S  PARTY  AND    THE   GAMES  PLAYED. 

party  came  forward  with  a  pointer  in  her  hand,  and  took 
charge  of  the  little  exhibition. 

First  came  the  House  that  Jack  Built,  as  shown  on  the 
slides  below ;  her  little  sister  standing  in  the  shadow,  and 


Fig.  21. 


Fig.  22. 


repeating,  as  the  figures  appeared  upon  the  sheet  "  This  is 
Jack,"  "This  is  the  House  that  Jack  Built;"  and  so  on  to 
the  end.  Then  it  was  the  little  brother's  turn,  and  he 
shouted  "  Little  Miss  Muffet !  "  in  great  glee.     How  they  all 

laughed  when  the  big 
spider    appeared,    and 
little  Miss  Muffet  ran 
away !     Now  I  will  tell 
you  just  how  to  make 
these  slides  for  your- 
selves.    Get    from    a 
glazier  strips  of  clear 
glass    sixteen    inches 
long,  and  of  a  proper 
width  for  the  lantern 
in  which  they  are  to  be  used.     Place  the  glass  in  the  lantern, 
with  the  lamp  lighted  ;  mark  the  top,  bottom,  and  sides  of 
the  glass  at  the  outer  line  that  will  appear  upon  the  round 


Fig.  23. 


MAGIC-LANTERN  EXHIBITION. 


37 


38     A   CHILDREN'S  PARTY  AND   THE   GAMES  PLAYED. 


MAGIC-LANTERN  EXHIBITION. 


39 


Fig.  34. 


field  of  light  cast  upon  the  wall :  this  is  for  a  guide  to  the 
size  of  picture  that  can  be  used.  Cut  from  old  picture-books, 
or  from  tracings  made  upon  ordi- 
nary plain  paper,  the  picture 
desired.  In  the  pictures  given 
here,  the  lines  are  to  be  followed 
in  cutting,  and  care  must  be 
taken  not  to  cut  across  the  pa- 
per farther  than  the  lines  ex- 
tend. Paste  the  pictures  upon 
the  glass  at  the  same  level,  fa- 
cing toward  the  front  outer  edge 
of  the  slide,  and  fill  in  the 
ground,  grass,  etc.,  with  a  brush 
dipped  in  varnish  mixed  with 
black  paint. 

If  a  movable  scene  is  desired, 
the  object  to  be  moved  must  be 
placed  upon  a  separate  slide, 
from  the  one  used  for  the  sta- 
tionary object.  This  is  shown  in 
''Little  Miss  Muffet,"  who  ap- 
pears upon  one  end  of  the  slide, 
eating  her  curds  and  whey  :  upon 
the  other  end,  ready  to  be  shown 
as  soon  as  the  spider  hangs  be- 
fore her,  she  is  ''running  away." 
Upon  a  second  and  narrower  slide 
is  the  spider,  who,  by  drawing  in 
the  second  slide,  can  be  made 
to  appear  while  Miss  Muffet  is  seen  sitting  still.  These 
paper  figures  of  course  appear  as  black  shadows  upon  the 
light  field,  entirely  without  color.     (See  cuts  given.) 


Fig.  35 


40     A    CHILDREN'S  PARTY  AND    THE   GAMES  FLAYED, 

To  produce,  instead,  outline  figures  in  light  upon  a  dark 
ground,  the  glass  can  be  covered  with  a  coating  of  parafiine, 
so  thin  as  to  be  transparent,  the  glass  laid  over  the  figure  it 
is  desired  to  trace,  and  the  parafifine  removed  in  the  outline 
by  means  of  any  smooth  point.  If  the  paraffine  be  found 
too  thin  to  obstruct  the  light  sufficiently,  give  the  glass  a 
second  thin  coating,  through  which  the  lines  traced  will 
show,  and  remove  it  in  these  lines. 

If  you  can  draw  the  figures  yourself,  a  simpler  method 
still  is  to  cover  the  glass  with  white  castile-soap,  and  draw 
through  it  with  a  smooth  point.  Common  asphalt-varnish 
laid  on  in  two  thin  coats,  with  a  brush  three-quarters  of  an 
inch  broad,  and  traced  through  in  the  same  way,  gives  the 
most  satisfactory  results,  as  the  lines  will  be  smooth,  and 
give  a  perfect  outline. 

For  home  pictures  it  is  decidedly  best  not  to  try  to  color 
the  slides,  as  it  is  very  difficult  work,  and  colored  slides  are 
not  at  all  expensive ;  though,  for  home  amusement,  black  or 
white  answers  almost  as  well.  Dolbear's  book  on  magic- 
lanterns,  to  be  had  of  any  bookseller,  gives  full  directions 
for  every  variety  of  slide. 


FIFTY  FORFEITS.  41 


CHAPTER   III. 

FIFTY   FORFEITS. 

When  a  sufficient  number  of  forfeits,  or  pawns,  have  been 
collected  during  the  play,  it  is  time  to  sell  them.  For  this 
purpose,  one  of  the  girls  is  seated  on  a  chair  in  the  middle 
of  the  room,  and  blindfolded.  Another  stands  behind  her 
with  the  basket  containing  the  forfeits ;  and,  taking  out  one 
at  a  time,  she  holds  it  up,  asking,  "  What  is  to  be  done  to 
the  owner  of  this  } "  She  that'  is  blindfolded  inquires,  "  Is 
it  fine,  or  superfine } "  meaning,  does  it  belong  to  a  young 
gentleman,  or  to  a  young  lady }  For  the  latter  the  reply 
must  be,  "  It  is  superfine."  Then  the  seller  of  the  forfeits 
(still  remaining  blindfolded)  must  decide  what  the  owner 
must  do  before  the  pawn  can  be  restored  to  her. 

It  is  extremely  difficult  to  find  such  forfeits  as  are  neither 
dangerous  nor  unlady-like ;  the  fifty  given,  however,  being 
the  best  selection  that  can  be  made  for  young  players. 

Examples. 

First.  The  first  may  be  what  is  called  performing  a 
statue. 

The  owner  of  the  forfeit  is  to  stand  on  a  chair  in  the 
middle  of  the  room  ;  and  every  one,  in  turn,  is  to  put  her  in 
a  different  position.  One  is  to  make  her  raise  her  hands 
above  her  head,  and  clasp  them  together ;  another  is  to  place 
her  arms  behind  her,  grasping  her  elbows  with  her  hands ; 
a  third  makes  the  statue  clasp  her  hands  on  her  breast ;  a 


N 


42  FIFTY  FORFEITS. 

fourth  requires  her  to  hold  out  her  dress,  as  if  she  were  just 
going  to  dance ;  a  fifth  desires  her  to  cover  her  eyes  with 
her  hands  ;  and  so  on,  till  each  has  placed  the  statue  in 
a  different  attitude  ;  after  which,  she  descends  from  her 
pedestal,  and  the  forfeit  is  restored  to  her. 

Second.  The  owner  of  the  forfeit  is  to  be  fed  with  water 
till  she  guesses  who  is  feeding  her.  For  this  purpose  she  is 
blindfolded,  and  seated  on  a  chair.  A  glass  of  water  with  a 
teaspoon  in  it  is  prepared,  and  each  girl,  in  turn,  puts  part 
of  a  spoonful  of  water  into  the  mouth  of  her  blindfolded  com- 
panion, who  must  endeavor  to  guess  who  is  doing  it.  When- 
ever she  guesses  rightly,  the  bandage  is  removed,  and  the 
forfeit  is  restored  to  her. 

Third.     To  perform  the  laughing  gamut,  without  pause 

or  mistake,  thus  :  — 

ha 

ha    ha 

ha  ha 

ha  ha 

ha  ha 

ha  ha 

ha  ha 

ha  ha 

Fourth.  She  must  repeat  a  verse  of  poetry,  which  had 
better  be  something  diverting  or  humorous. 

Fifth.  She  must  keep  silent,  and  preserve  a  serious  face, 
for  five  minutes,  without  either  smiling  or  frowning,  let  the 
company  do  as  they  will. 

Sixth.  She  must  repeat  five  times  rapidly,  without  mispro- 
nouncing a  letter,  "  Willy  Wite  and  his  wife  went  a  voyage 
to  Winsor  and  West  Wickham  one  Witsun  Wednesday." 

Seventh.  Laugh  in  one  corner  of  the  room,  cry  in 
another,  yawn  in  the  third  corner,  and  dance  in  the  fourth. 

Eighth.     Rub  one  hand  on  your  forehead,  at  the  same 


FIFTY  FORFEITS. 


43 


Or, 


time  striking  the  other  on  your  heart,  without  changing  the 
motion  of  either  for  an  instant. 

Ninth.  Repeat  as  follows  three  times  successively,  with- 
out a  pause  or  blunder  :  — 

"  Peter  Piper  picked  a  peck  of  pickle-peppers, 
A  peck  of  pickle-peppers  Peter  Piper  picked : 
If  Peter  Piper  picked  a  peck  of  pickle-peppers, 
Where's  the  peck  of  pickle-peppers  Peter  Piper  picked?" 
Or, 

"  A  peacock  picked  a  peck  of  pepper ; 
Did  he  pick  a  peck  of  pepper  ? 
Yes,  he  picked  a  peck  of  pepper : 
Pick  pepper  peacock." 

"  One  old  ox  opening  oysters. 
Two  tea-totally  tired  toads  trying  to  trot  to  Teaberry. 
Three  thick,  thumping  tigers  tickling  trout. 
Four  fat  friars  fanning  fainting  flies. 

Five  frivolously  foolish  females  flying  to  France  for  fashions. 
Six  sentimental  spoonies  sedulously  sipping  sarsaparilla. 
Seven  seasick  sailors  sanctimoniously  singing  psalms." 

Tenth.     Say  this  correctly,  without  stopping :  — 

"  Bandy-legged  Borachio  Mustachio  Whiskerifusticus,  the  bald  and 
brave  Bombardino  of  Bagdad,  helped  Abomilique,  Blue-Beard  Bashaw  of 
Babelmandeb,  to  beat  down  an  abominable  bumble-bee  at  Balsora. ' 

Eleventh.  To  stand  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  and  first 
make  up  a  very  woful  face,  then  a  very  merry  one  :  if  it  be 
in  the  evening,  a  lamp  must  be  held  in  the  hand. 

Twelfth.  Answer  five  questions  while  another  taps  you 
under  the  chin. 

Thirteenth.  Ask  a  question  of  one  of  the  company 
which  they  can  only  answer  by  saying  "  Yes."  The  question 
is,  "What  does  YES  spell  ? " 


44  FIFTY  FORFEITS. 

Fourteenth.  Quote  a  line  of  poetry  to  bring  in  any 
easy  word  that  may  be  given  you ;  such  as  "  bird,"  or  "  flower," 
or  the  like. 

Fifteenth.  Imitate,  without  laughing,  such  animals  as 
your  companions  name. 

Sixteenth.     Ask  a  riddle  or  conundrum. 

Seventeenth.  Hop  on  one  foot  four  times  round  the 
room. 

Eighteenth.  Make  a  nosegay  with  any  six  letters  of  the 
alphabet  that  are  given  you.  Thus,  suppose  the  letters  were 
L,  W,  G,  F,  T,  N,  you  might  fill  them  in  with  lily,  wood- 
bine, geranium,  foxglove,  tulip,  and  nasturtium.  Should 
the  company  wish  to  tax  your  ingenuity,  they  would  choose 
more  difficult  letters,  such  as  X  or  Z ;  but  flowers  may  be 
found  even  for  these  by  taking  a  little  trouble. 

Nineteenth.     Count  twenty  backwards. 

Twentieth.  Stand  up  in  a  chair,  and  make  whatever 
motions  or  grimaces  you  are  ordered,,  without  laughing. 
Young  ladies  should  be  very  particular  never  to  exact  any 
thing  awkward  or  improper. 

Twenty-first.  Pay  a  compliment,  and  undo  it  after,  to 
every  one  present. 

Twenty-second.     Sing  a  short  song. 

Twenty-third.     Dance  a  pas-seul,  or  hornpipe. 

Twenty-fourth.  Put  yourself,  through  the  keyhole. 
This  is  done  by  writing  the  word  "yourself  "  on  a  small  slip 
of  paper,  rolling  it  up,  and  putting  it  through  the  keyhole. 
Or,  push  some  one's  head  through  the  handle  of  the  teapot. 
This  is  done  by  putting  your  finger  through  the  handle,  and 
then  pushing  the  person's  head. 

Twenty-fifth.  Repeat  these  four  lines  rapidly,  without 
a  pause  or  a  mistake :  — 


FIFTY  FORFEITS.  45 

"  As  I  went  in  the  garden,  I  saw  five  brave  maids, 
Sitting  on  five  broad  beds,  braiding  broad  braids. 
I  said  to  these  five  brave  maids,  sitting  on  five  broad  beds, 
Braiding  broad  braids,  '  Braid  broad  braids,  brave  maids.'  " 

Twenty-sixth.     Kiss  yourself  in  the  looking-glass. 

Twenty-seventh.     Guess  a  riddle  or  conundrum. 

Twenty-eighth.  Spell  new  door  in  one  word.  This  is 
done  by  writing  on  a  slate  or  piece  of  paper  one  word. 
It  will  be  seen  that  "  new  door  "  and  "  one  word  "  contain 
exactly  the  same  letters,  though  differently  arranged. 

Twenty-ninth.     Repeat  the  "twine-twister." 

"  When  the  twister  a  twisting  would  twist  him  a  twist, 
For  the  twisting  his  twine  he  three  times  doth  intwist ; 
But  if  one  of  the  twists  of  the  twist  doth  intwine, 
The  twine  that  intwisteth  untwisteth  the  twine." 

Thirtieth.  Immediately  after  the  "twine-twister"  has 
been  said,  the  next  forfeit  may  be  redeemed  by  desiring  the 
owner  to  spell  all  ^this  in  seven  letters ;  which  is  done  by 
spelling  ALL  THIS. 

Thirty-first.     Write  your  name  in  one  letter.     This  is 
done  by  writing  on  a  slate,  or  on  paper  with  a 
lead-pencil,  one  very  large  letter,  introducing  in 
it  your  own  name,  written  small,  thus  :  — 

Thirty-second.  Decipher  two  lines,  addressed  by  a  boy 
to  his  schoolmaster.  The  following  lines  must  be  written 
by  some  one  who  knows  how,  and  the  owner  of  the  pawn 
must  write  under  them  the  explanation :  — 


2 

+ 

u 

r 

2 

+ 

u        b; 

I 

c 

u 

r 

2 

+ 

for  me. 

The  explanation  is : 


Too  cross  you  are,  too  cross  you  be ; 
I  see  you  are  too  cross  for  me. 


46  FIFTY  FORFEITS. 

Thirty-third.     Decipher   the   schoolmaster's   answer  to 

the  boy  :  — 

2yyur2yyub; 
I        c  u        r        2        yy        for  me. 

This  is  the  explanation :  — 

Too  wise  you  are,  too  wise  you  be ; 
I  see  you  are  too  wise  for  me. 

Thirty-fourth.     Say  five   flattering   things  to  the   one 
who  sits  next  you,  without  making  use  of  the  letter  L. 
Thirty-fifth.     Perform  the  dumb  orator. 
Thirty-sixth.     Repeat  the  list  of 

WONDERFUL  SIGHTS. 

I  saw  a  peacock  with  a  fiery  tail. 

I  saw  a  blazing  comet  pour  down  hail. 

I  saw  a  cloud  all  wrapped  with  ivy  round. 

I  saw  a  lofty  oak  creep  on  the  ground. 

I  saw  a  beetle  swallow  up  a  whale. 

I  saw  the  foaming  sea  brimful  of  ale. 

I  saw  a  chma  mug  fifteen  feet  deep. 

I  saw  a  well  full  of  men's  tears  that  weep. 

I  saw  wet  eyes  all  of  a  flaming  fire. 

I  saw  a  house  high  as  the  moon,  and  higher. 

I  saw  the  sun  even  in  the  dark  midnight. 

I  saw  the  man  that  saw  these  awful  sights. 

Or  this:  — 

MORE  WONDERS. 

I  saw  a  pack  of  cards  gnawing  a  bone. 

I  saw  a  dog  seated  on  Britain's  throne. 

I  saw  King  George  shut  up  within  a  box. 

I  saw  a  shilling  driving  a  fat  ox. 

I  saw  a  man  lying  in  a  muff  all  night. 

I  saw  a  glove  reading  news  by  candlelight. 


FIFTY  FORFEITS.  47 

I  saw  a  woman  not  a  twelvemonth  old. 

I  saw  a  greatcoat  all  of  solid  gold. 

I  saw  two  buttons  telling  of  their  dreams. 

I  heard  my  friends,  who  wished  I'd  quit  these  themes. 

Thirty-seventh.  Repeat  the  "Wonderful  Sights,"  so 
as  to  make  them  no  wonders  at  all.  This  is  done  by  alter- 
ing the  punctuation  ;  thus  :  — 

I  saw  a  peacock.    With  a  fiery  tail 

I  saw  a  comet.     Pour  down  hail 

I  saw  a  cloud.     Wrapped  with  ivy  round 

I  saw  a  lofty  oak.     Creep  on  the  ground 

I  saw  a  beetle.     Swallow  up  a  whale 

I  saw  the  foaming  sea.     Brimful  of  ale 

I  saw  a  china  mug.     Fifteen  feet  deep 

I  saw  a  well.     Full  of  men's  tears  that  weep 

I  saw  wet  eyes.     All  of  a  flaming  fire 

I  saw  a  house.     High  as  the  moon,  and  higher, 

I  saw  the  sun.     Even  in  the  dark  midnight 

I  saw  the  man  that  saw  these  awful  sights. 

MORE   WONDERS   EXPLAINED. 

I  saw  a  pack  of  cards.     Gnawing  a  bone 

I  saw  a  dog.     Seated  on  Britain's  throne 

I  saw  King  George.     Shut  up  within  a  box 

I  saw  a  shilling.     Driving  a  fat  ox 

I  saw  a  man.     Lying  in  a  muff  all  night 

I  saw  a  glove.     Reading  news  by  candlelight 

I  saw  a  woman.     Not  a  twelvemonth  old 

I  saw  a  greatcoat.    All  of  solid  gold 

I  saw  two  buttons.     Telling  of  their  dreams 

I  heard  my  friends,  who  wished  I'd  quit  these  themes. 

Thirty-eighth.  Get  a  sixpence  off  your  forehead  with- 
out putting  your  hands  to  it.  This  is  done  as  follows  : 
The  mistress  of  the  play  takes  a  sixpence  or  fourpenny- 
piece,  and,  wetting  it  with  her  tongue,  pretends  to  stick  it 


48  FIFTY  FORFEITS, 

very  fast  on  the  forehead  of  the  owner  of  the  forfeit.  In 
reality  she  withdraws  it  immediately,  and  conceals  it  in  her 
own  hand,  but  makes  the  owner  of  the  forfeit  believe  that  it 
is  all  the  time  on  her  forehead.  And  she  is  easily  deceived, 
as  she  is  not  permitted  to  put  up  her  hand  to  feel ;  and  all 
the  company  humor  the  joke,  and  pretend  that  the  sixpence 
is  actually  sticking  there.  She  shakes  her  head,  and  tries 
every  means  (except  the  interdicted)  to  make  the  sixpence 
drop  off,  wondering  she  does  not  see  it  fall,  and  amazed  that 
it  sticks  so  fast,  supposing  it  to  be  really  on  her  forehead. 
No  one  must  undeceive  her.  Whenever  she  discovers  the 
trick,  and  finds  that  in  reality  there  is  nothing  on  her  fore- 
head, her  forfeit  may  be  restored  to  her.  If  she  puts  up 
her  hand  to  feel  for  the  sixpence,  she  must  pay  another 
forfeit. 

Thirty-ninth.  Stand  in  the  corner  till  some  one  pre- 
vails on  you  to  come  out,  though  all  your  answers  must  be 
"  No."  The  dialogue  that  ought  to  take  place  is  as  follows, 
or  something  to  this  effect ;  but  it  may  be  varied,  according 
to  the  ingenuity  of  the  questioner :  — 

*'  Do  you  wish  to  remain  in  the  corner } "  —  "  No.'* 
"  Is  it  very  irksome  to  you } "  —  **  No." 
"  Shall  I  lead  you  out  in  half  an  hour  t "  —  "  No." 
"  Are  you  willing  to  stay  here  all  night  1 "  —  "  No." 
"  Shall  I  go  away  and  leave  you  here } "  —  "  No." 
"  Will  you  remain  in  the  corner  another  moment } "  — 
"  No." 

The  answer  to  this  last  question  implies  a  consent  to  quit 
the  corner  immediately :  therefore  you  must  be  led  out. 

Fortieth.  Walk  three  times  round  the  room  with  a 
boy's  hat  on  your  head,  and  bow  to  the  company  as  you  take 
it  off. 

Forty-first.     Spell  Constantinople.     When  this  is  done, 


FIFTY  FORFEITS. 


4^ 


after  the  speller  has  gone  through  the  three  first  syllables, 
Con-stan-ti,  the  other  girls  must  call  out,  "  No,  no ! "  mean- 
ing the  next  syllable. 

If  the  speller  is  not  aware  of  the  trick,  she  will  suppose 
that  they  wish  her  to  believe  she  is  spelling  the  word  wrongly, 
and  she  will  stop  to  vindicate  herself ;  in  which  case  she  is 
liable  to  another  forfeit.  If  she  knows  the  trick,  she  is  con- 
vinced that  she  is  right,  and  will  have  sufficient  presence  of 
mind  to  persist  in  spelling  the  word,  notwithstanding  the 
interruption.  If  she  gets  through  it  without  stopping,  the 
forfeit  is  restored  to  her. 

Forty-second.  Take  a  penny  out  of  a  plate  of  meal, 
without  flouring  your  hands.  A  penny  covered  up  in  meal 
is  brought  to  you.  You  take  the  plate,  and  blow  all  the 
flour  off  the  penny ;  after  which  you  can  easily  take  it  up 
in  your  thumb  and  finger,  without  getting  your  hands 
dusted. 

Forty-third.  Shoot  the  robin.  This  is  done  by  blind- 
folding the  owner  of  the  forfeit,  and  leading  her  to  a  part  of 
the  room  where  a  sheet  of  paper  or  a  handkerchief  has  been 
pinned  to  the  wall.  She  is  directed  then  to  shoot  the  robin, 
which  she  must  do  by  starting  forwards,  extending  her  right 
arm,  and  pointing  her  finger  so  as  to  touch  the  sheet  of 
paper.  Whenever  she  succeeds  in  doing  so,  her  forfeit  is 
restored.  Her  finger  had  better  be  blackened  with  a  coal, 
or  burnt  cork,  or  something  that  will  leave  a  mark  on  the 
paper. 

Forty-fourth.  Walk  round  the  room,  and  kiss  your 
shadow  in  each  corner,  without  laughing. 

Forty-fifth.  The  one  who  is  to  pay  a  forfeit  stands 
with  her  face  to  the  wall.  One  behind  her  makes  signs  suita- 
ble to  a  kiss,  a  pinch,  and  a  box  on  the  ear,  and  asks  her 
whether  she  chooses   the   first,  the   second,  or  the  third; 


50  FIFTY  FORFEITS. 

whichever  it  happens  to  be  is  given  to  her.  The  blows  and 
pinches  must  not  be  too  hard. 

Forty-sixth.  Two  forfeits  may  be  redeemed  at  once, 
by  the  persons  to  whom  they  belong  lamenting  the  death 
of  the  King  of  Bohemia.  They  must  go  to  opposite  ends  of 
the  room,  and  then  turn  round  and  advance,  so  as  to  meet 
in  the  centre.  One  must  walk  very  slowly,  with  her  hand- 
kerchief to  her  face,  and  say  to  the  other  in  a  melancholy 
tone,  "The  King  of  Bohemia  is  dead!"  The  hearer  must 
then  pretend  to  burst  into  tears,  and  say,  **  Is  it  possible ! 
Sad  news,  sad  news  ! "  but  must  then  exclaim,  "  Let  us  cry 
for  the  King  of  Bohemia  !  " 

All  this  must  be  performed  in  a  lamentable  voice  and 
with  disconsolate  faces.  If  they  laugh,  the  forfeits  must  be 
redeemed  over  again. 

Forty-seventh.  When  a  line  is  given  out  to  you, 
answer  it  with  another  that  will  rhyme  with  it. 

Forty-eighth.  Sit  down  on  the  carpet,  close  to  the  door 
(which  must  be  shut),  and  say,  — 

"  Here  will  I  take  a  seat  under  the  latch, 
Till  somebody  comes  a  kiss  to  snatch." 

The  forfeit  is  redeemed  as  soon  as  one  of  your  playmates 
kisses  you. 

Forty-ninth.  A  number  of  forfeits  may  be  redeemed 
together,  by  the  owners  all  sitting  in  a  row,  and  playing 
Mrs.  M'Tavish ;  which  is  performed  by  the  following  dia- 
logue going  round  :  — 

**Mrs.  MTavish  has  fainted  away.** 

**  Is  it  possible }     How  did  she  faint }  '* 

*'Just  so." 

The  speaker  then  throws  herself  back,  and  looks  as  if  she 
were  fainting.     The  one  next  to  her  then,  in  turn,  announces 


FIFTY  FORFEITS,  5 1 

the  fainting  of  Mrs.  MTavish.  Thus  the  play  goes  on,  till 
all  engaged  in  it  have  performed  the  fainting,  and  this 
redeems  the  forfeits.  The  whole  must  be  done  without 
laughing.  The  modes  of  fainting  should  all  be  as  different 
as  possible,  and  may  be  made  very  diverting. 

Fiftieth.  After  a  number  of  pawns  have  been  sold, 
those  that  are  left  on  hand  may  be  redeemed  all  at  once, 
by  the  whole  company  performing  a  cats'  concert.  That 
is,  they  must  all  sing  together,  as  if  in  chorus ;  but  each 
must  sing  a  different  song  and  tune.  One  verse  will  be 
sufficient. 


52  SOME  GAMES  THEY  MIGHT  HAVE  PLAYED. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

SOME  GAMES  THEY  MIGHT  HAVE  PLAYED. 

Blind  Man's  Buff  is  an  old  favorite,  so  well  known  as  to 
need  no  description,  but,  unless  a  large  and  almost  unfur- 
nished room  can  be  had,  is  too  noisy  for  a  large  party. 
Almost  as  much  amusement  may  be  had  from 

SHADOW   BUFF,   OR  PORTRAITS   A   LA   SILHOUETTE. 

Buff,  or,  as  she  is  more  elegantly  called  by  the  French, 
"  Colin  Maillard,"  has  not  her  eyes  bandaged :  on  the  con- 
trary, she  has  need  of  all  her  penetration.  A  sheet  is  hung 
from  the  ceiling,  as  though  for  the  performance  of  a  magic- 
lantern,  before  which  "  Colin  Maillard  "  takes  her  seat  on  a 
low  footstool,  so  that  her  shadow  does  not  fall  upon  the 
cloth.  All  the  lights  are  extinguished,  with  the  exception 
of  a  single  candle  placed  on  a  small  stand  at  some  little  dis- 
tance behind  her.  When  these  preparations  are  completed, 
the  other  players  form  a  sort  of  procession,  and  pass,  one 
after  another,  between  their  seated  companion  (who  is 
strictly  forbidden  to  turn  her  head)  and  the  table  on  which 
the  lighted  candle  is  placed.  The  light  being  thus  inter- 
cepted by  each  of  the  persons  passing  before  it,  a  series  of 
shadows,  distinctly  enough  defined,  are  naturally  cast  upon 
the  white  cloth ;  and  these,  as  they  file  slowly  before  her, 
"  Colin  Maillard  *'  is  obliged  to  identify,  the  errors  she  may 
fall  into  being  received  with  shouts  of  laughter.  It  is 
scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  each  performer,  when  passing 


THE  READER. 


53 


before  the  light,  endeavors  to  change  as  much  as  possible 
her  general  appearance,  figure,  and  gait,  so  as  to  be  less 
easily  recognized.  It  is  not  customary  to  exact  forfeits  at 
this  game,  but  a  great  many  might  be  obtained  by  making 
each  correct  guess  claim  one  from  the  person  whose  identity 
is  thus  detected. 

THE   READER. 

This  is  a  most  laughable  game,  and,  though  very  simple, 
rarely  fails  to  excite  great  mirth.  One  of  the  party  assumes 
the  post  of  ** reader;"  whilst  her  companions  each  choose  a 
trade  or  profession,  being  careful  not  to  fix  on  those  too 
closely  resembling  each  other.  The  reader  then  com- 
mences reading  aloud  some  short  article  from  a  newspaper 
or  book  (something  of  the  narrative  kind  being  most  effec- 
tive), every  now  and  then  pausing,  and  glancing  at  one  of 
the  other  players,  who,  without  a  moment's  hesitation,  must 
substitute  for  the  word  about  to  be  pronounced  some  one 
relating  to  her  trade  or  profession ;  the  reader  afterwards 
going  on  as  though  no  interruption  had  taken  place. 

We  give  an  example :  — 

Julia.  I  will  be  reader;  you,  Mary,  shall  be  a  butcher;  Con- 
stance, a  milliner ;  Jane,  a  baker ;  Fanny,  a  grocer ;  Clara,  a  hard- 
ware-merchant ;  Ellen,  a  fruiterer ;  Annie,  a  dry-goods-merchant ;  and 
Kate,  a  market-woman. 

Now  to  begin. 

JuLU.  Boiling  with  indignation  at  Louis'  insulting  defiance,  Ro- 
nald returned  to  his  {looks  at  Mary)  — 

Mary.     Sirloin  — 

Julia.     In  the  {looks  at  Constance)  — 

Constance.     Show-room. 

Julia.  Determined  at  daybreak  to  summon  him  forth  to  {looks 
at  Jane)  — 


54  SOME   GAMES    THEY  MIGHT  HAVE  PLAYED, 

Jane.     Hot  rolls  — 

Julia.     Or  {looks  at  Fanny)  — 

Fanny.     Best  Mocha  coffee. 

Julia.    He  often  repeated  the  words  "  her  "  {looks  «/ Clara)  — 

Clara.     Flatirons  — 

Julia.  Have  never  wandered  from  you.  Ah,  if  this  should  indeed 
be  the  case  !  and  that  Alice  loved  {looks  at  Ellen)  — 

Ellen.     Fresh  raspberries  — 

Julia.  After  all !  But  from  Louis  his  honor  demanded  {looks 
at  Annie)  — 

Annie.     A  pair  of  lamb's- wool  stockings  — 

Julia.    And  {looks  at  Kate)  — 

Kate.     The  finest  Stilton,  thirty  cents  per  pound — 

Julia.     Either  of  which  he  feared  the  proud  {looks  at  Mary)  — 

Mary.     Calfs  head — 

Julia.  Would  never  stoop  to  grant.  Yet  to  level  a  {looks  at 
Constance)  — 

Constance.     Spool  of  cotton  — 

Julia.  Against  the  brother  of  Alice,  against  him  to  whom  he  had 
been  a  constant  friend  and  companion  in  {looks  at  Jane)  — 

Jane.     Sally  Lunns  — 

Julia.    And  {looks  at  Fanny)  — 

Fanny.    Turkey  figs  — 

Julia.    And  perhaps  by  a  single  {looks  at  Clara)  — 

Clara.     Coal-scuttle  — 

Julia.    To  destroy  him,  the  {looks  at  Ellen)  — 

Ellen.     Crab- apples  — 

Julia.    And  {looks  at  Annie)  — 

Annie.     Doeskin  driving-gloves  — 

Julia.     Of  his  amiable  {looks  at  Kate)  — 

Kate.     Pats  of  fresh  butter  — 

Julia.    And  {looks  at  Mary)  — 

Mary.     Mutton-chops  — 

Julia.  He  felt  that,  should  this  happen,  he  could  never  forgive 
himself.     But  there  was  no  {looks  at  Constance)  — 


THE  ELEMENTS.  55 

Constance.     Blonde  veil  and  orange-blossom — 

Julia.     It  was  {looks  at  Jane)  — 

Jane.     Crusty  loaves  — 

Julia.     And  {looks  at  Fanny)  — 

Fanny.     Brown  sugar,  etc. 

The  paragraph,  from  Grant's  "  Romance  of  War,"  which 
Julia  has  been  reading,  stands,  without  the  interpolations, 
thus : — 

"Boiling  with  rage  at  Louis'  insulting  defiance,  Ronald 
returned  to  his  quarters  in  the  Alcanzar,  determined  at  day- 
break to  summon  him  forth  to  fight  or  to  apologize.  He 
often  repeated  the  words,  *  Her  heart  has  never  wandered 
from  you.'  Ah,  if  this  should  indeed  be  the  case,  and  that 
Alice  loved  him,  after  all !  But  from  Louis  his  honor  de- 
manded a  full  explanation  and  ample  apology,  either  of  which 
he  feared  the  proud  spirit  of  the  other  would  never  stoop  to 
grant.  Yet  to  level  a  deadly  weapon  against  the  brother  of 
Alice,  against  him  to  whom  he  had  been  a  constant  friend 
and  companion  in  childhood  and  maturer  youth,  and  per- 
haps by  a  single  shot  to  destroy  him,  the  hopes  and  the 
peace  of  his  amiable  father  and  sister,  —  he  felt,  that,  should 
this  happen,  he  could  never  forgive  himself.  But  there  was 
no  alternative  :  it  was  death  or  dishonor." 

THE   ELEMENTS. 

A  handkerchief  is  rolled  up  into  the  shape  of  a  round  ball. 
The  little  girls  sit  in  a  circle.  She  that  is  to  begin  the  play 
takes  the  ball,  and  throws  it  to  one  of  her  companions,  call- 
ing out  either  "Earth!"  "Air!"  or  "Water!"  fire  being 
omitted,  as  that  element  has  no  inhabitants.  Should  any 
player,  however,  call  out,  "  Fire  ! "  every  one  must  keep 
silence.     The  little  girl  to  whom  the  ball  is  directed  must, 


56  SOME   GAMES   THEY  MIGHT  HAVE  PLAYED. 

on  catching  it,  reply  by  giving  the  name  of  an  animal  proper 
to  the  element  that  has  just  been  mentioned.  If  the  word 
is  ''air,'*  the  answer  must  be  "eagle,"  "vulture,"  "hawk,"  or 
any  other  bird.  If  the  word  is  "  water,"  the  reply  may  be 
"whale,"  "shark,"  "porpoise."  If  the  element  is  "earth," 
the  answer  must  be  the  name  of  a  beast ;  as  "  lion,"  "  tiger," 
"bear,"  etc.  If  she  that  is  addressed  does  not  reply 
promptly,  or  makes  a  mistake,  and  names  a  bird  when  she 
should  have  mentioned  a  beast,  she  is  to  pay  a  forfeit.  Any 
one  who  mentions  the  same  animal  twice  is  likewise  liable 
to  a  forfeit.  The  one  that  receives  the  ball  then  throws 
it  to  another,  calling  out  one  of  the  elements ;  and  so  the 
play  goes  round. 

Example, 

Maria  {throwing  the  ball  to  Helen)  .     Earth  ! 

Helen.     Panther.     {She  throws  the  ball  to  Louisa.)     Air ! 

Louisa.    Woodpecker.     {She  throws  it  to  Julia.)     Water ! 

Julia.     Barbel.     {Throws  it  to '^vn\k.^     Water! 

Sophia  {starting) .  Oh  !  what  am  I  thinking  of  ?  Turkey  —  tur- 
key. 

Maria.     Ha,  ha,  ha  !    Do  turkeys  live  in  the  water? 

Sophia.  Oh,  no  !  I  meant  turtle.  However,  I  see  I  am  too  late. 
Here  is  this  pencil  as  a  forfeit.  {She  throws  the  ball  to  Maria.) 
Earth  ! 

Maria.     Buffalo  {throwing  the  ball  to  Harriet)  .     Air  ! 

Harriet.     Mocking-bird.     {Throws  the  ball  to  Ymiin  .)     Water! 

Emily.     Salmon  {throwing  the  ball  to  Charlotte)  .    Air  ! 

Charlotte.     Duck. 

Helen.  Now,  Charlotte,  that  does  not  seem  exactly  right.  A 
duck  is  a  bird,  to  be  sure ;  but  does  it  ever  fly  in  the  air?  Earth  is 
its  proper  abode. 

Charlotte.  You  are  very  particular.  Do  not  wild  ducks  fly  in 
the  air?  and  very  high  too,  and  in  large  flocks. 

Helen.    Then,  you  should  have  said  "  wild  duck." 


THE  SECRET   WORD.  '57 

Emily.    And  ducks  also  swim  in  the  water. 

Maria.  Well,  I  believe  we  must  admit  the  word  "duck"  as  a 
sufficiently  good  answer,  whether  the  word  be  earth,  air,  or  water ; 
ducks  being  found  in  all  those  three  elements. 

Helen.    But  always  say  "  wild  duck,"  if  the  word  is  "air." 


THE  SECRET   WORD. 

One  of  the  company  leaves  the  room,  and  the  others  fix 
on  a  word ;  such  as  "like,"  "care,"  "sight,"  "leave,"  "hear," 
etc.,  which  is  to  be  introduced  into  all  their  answers  to  the 
questions  she  must  put  to  them  on  her  return.  When  the 
word  is  decided  on,  she  is  called  in,  and  asks  a  question  of 
each,  in  turn.  In  replying,  every  one  must  contrive  to  use 
the  secret  word,  without  laying  any  emphasis,  or  making  it 
conspicuous.  If  the  questioner  remarks  the  frequent  recur- 
rence of  the  same  word  in  the  answers,  she  will  easily  be 
able  to  guess  what  it  is.  The  one  from  whose  reply  she 
has  made  the  final  discovery,  then,  in  her  turn,  leaves  the 
room  while  the  next  word  is  fixed  on,  and,  on  her  return, 
becomes  the  questioner. 

Example, 

Maria.  Do  you  go  out,  Emily.  (Emily  leaves  the  room.)  Now, 
what  shall  be  the  word? 

Helen.     "  Fear,"  or  "  love." 

Julia.  Will  not  those  words  be  too  conspicuous?  Let  us  try 
"like." 

All.     "  Like,"  "  like."     Let  it  be  "  like."    Come  in,  Emily. 

Emily  {returning),  Maria,  do  you  not  think  the  weather  is  very 
warm  this  evening? 

Maria.     Not  warmer  than  I  like  it. 

Emily.    Julia,  are  you  fond  of  watermelon? 

Julia.    No.     I  like  pine-apple  better. 


58  SOME   GAMES   THEY  MIGHT  HAVE  PLAYED. 

Emily.  Helen,  have  you  read  Mrs.  Howitt's  "  Sowing  and  Reap- 
ing"? 

Helen.  Yes;  and  I  do  not  like  it  so  well  as  her  "Love  and 
Money." 

Emily.     Matilda,  were  you  up  early  this  morning? 

Matilda.    Very  early.     I  always  like  to  rise  with  the  lark. 

Emily.    Harriet,  did  you  make  that  bag  yourself  ? 

Harriet.  I  did.  I  like  to  make  bags,  pincushions,  needlebooks, 
emery-bags,  and  every  thing  of  the  sort. 

Emily.     "  Like."     I  have  guessed  it.     "  Like  "  is  the  word. 

Harriet.    So  it  is.    Now  I  will  go  out.     {She  goes,) 

Charlotte.     "  Saw."     Let  "  saw  "  be  the  word. 

Maria.    Very  well.    Come  in,  Harriet.     (Harriet  comes  in,) 

Harriet.     Maria,  when  did  you  see  Clara  Simmons  ? 

Maria.  I  saw  her  the  day  before  yesterday,  when  I  was  walking 
with  Julia. 

Harriet.    Julia,  was  Clara  Simmons  quite  well  ? 

Julia.     Quite.     I  never  saw  her  look  better. 

Harriet.  Louisa,  are  you  not  very  much  pleased  with  your  hand- 
some drawing-box? 

Louisa.  Very  much.  But  I  saw  one  in  a  shop  yesterday  that  was 
still  more  complete  than  mine. 

Harriet.    Charlotte,  are  you  acquainted  with  Laura  Morton? 

Charlotte.  I  saw  her  once  at  a  private  ball,  but  have  no  acquaint- 
ance with  her. 

Harriet.  Emily,  do  not  you  think  the  new  table  in  your  honey- 
suckle arbor  is  too  high  ? 

Emily.  Yes  ;  but  the  carpenter  is  coming  to-morrow  to  saw  off  a 
piece  from  each  leg,  and  then  it  will  be  a  proper  height. 

Harriet.     "  Saw,"  "  saw,"  is  the  word. 

Maria.  Ha,  ha,  ha !  Emily,  you  had  better  not  have  used  the 
word  "  saw  "  in  that  sense.     You  see,  Harriet  guessed  it  immediately. 

Emily.  No  matter.  J  have  not  the  least  objection  to  going  out 
again. 


MANY   WORDS  IN  ONE.  59 


MANY   WORDS    IN    ONE. 

One  of  the  company  having  left  the  room,  the  others  fix 
on  a  word  for  her  to  guess.  The  word  may  be  "cake." 
She  is  called  in,  and  stops  before  the  first  one  in  the  row, 
who  says,  "  Cap."  She  goes  to  the  next,  who  says,  "Apple ; " 
the  third  says,  "Kettle;"  and  the  fourth  says,  "Egg;"  each 
taking  care  to  mention  a  word  whose  first  letter  is  one  that 
is  found  in  the  word  "cake,"  and  to  say  them  in  regular 
order.  The  guesser,  having  heard  all  these  words,  pauses 
to  think  over  their  initial  letters,  and  finds,  that,  when 
put  together,  they  are  CAKE,  and  compose  the  word 
"  cake,"  which  she  immediately  pronounces.  And  it  is  then 
the  turn  of  the  one  at  the  head  of  the  row  to  go  out  while  a 
word  is  proposed.  If  most  of  the  company  are  unacquainted 
with  the  play,  the  one  at  the  head  need  not  explain  at  first 
the  manner  in  which  the  word  is  guessed.  But  she  had 
better  tell  her  companions  beforehand  what  words  they  are 
to  say  when  the  guesser  comes  in  ;  and  then  they  will  all 
be  surprised  at  her  guessing,  not  thinking  that  it  is  from 
putting  together  the  initial  letters. 

Example. 

Maria.  Julia,  you  know  this  play :  so  you  had  better  be  the  first 
to  go  out.  (Julia  leaves  the  room.)  Now  we  will  fix  on  the  word 
"  rainbow  "  for  Julia  to  guess.  Are  any  of  you  acquainted  with  the 
play? 

All.     I  am  not ;  I  am  not. 

Maria.  Very  well,  then  I  will  tell  you  what  words  to  say  when 
Julia  presents  herself  before  you.  If  you  all  knew  the  play,  you 
might  choose  your  own  words.  I  myself  will  say,  "  rose."  Sophia, 
tlo  you  say,  "  arrow."  Emily,  your  word  iriay  be  "  ice."  Caroline's 
may  be  "nutmeg."  Louisa's  may  be  "bonnet."  Charlotte's  may 
be    "  orange ; "   and    Harriet  may  say,   "  wafer."     Come   in,   Julia. 


6o  SOME   GAMES   THEY  MIGHT  HAVE  PLAYED. 

Now  be  sure  to  remember  your  words.     (Julia  returns^     Well, 
Julia,  my  word  is  "rose." 

(Julia  goes  all  along  the  row^  and,  as  she  stops  before  each,  they 
say  the  word  allotted  to  them.) 

Sophia.    Arrow. 

Emily.     Ice. 

Caroline.    Nutmeg. 

Louisa.     Bonnet. 

Charlotte.     Orange. 

Harriet.     Wafer. 

(Julia  pauses  a  moment,  and  finds  that  the  initial  letters  of  aH 
these  words  make  rainbow.) 

Julia.    Rainbow ;  the  word  is  rainbow. 

All.    So  it  is. 

Caroline.     I  cannot  imagine  how  you  could  find  it  out. 

Emily.  I  think  I  can  guess  how  it  was  done.  However,  I  will 
not  tell. 

Harriet.     I  believe  I  can  guess  it  too.    But  I  also  will  not  tell. 

Charlotte.    Well,  it  is  a  mystery  to  me. 

Julia.  It  will  not  be,  when  the  play  has  gone  on  a  little  longer. 
You  will  find  it  out  by  practice.  Come,  Maria,  you  are  to  be  the 
next  guesser. 

THE   WATCHWORD. 

One  of  the  company  must  leave  the  room,  while  another 
touches  some  article  in  her  absence,  which  she  must  en- 
deavor to  guess  on  her  return.  Before  her  departure,  the 
mistress  of  the  play  takes  her  aside,  and  whispers  to  her 
the  watchword,  meaning  that  when  she  hears  her  ask,  "  Is  it 
this.?"  she  may  be  sure  that  she  points  to  the  object  which 
has  been  actually  touched  •  but,  on  the  other  hand,  the  ques- 
tion, "Is  it  that?''  refers  to  things  that  have  not  been 
touched. 


THE    WATCHWORD.  6t 

Example. 

Maria.  Louisa,  do  you  go  out )  but  first  let  me  say  something  to 
you  in  private.  {She  takes  Louisa  aside,  and  whispers  to  her,  say- 
ing), Julia  will  touch  something  while  you  are  gone;  and  when,  on 
your  return,  I  point  to  different  things,  and  ask,  "Is  it  that?"  you 
may  be  sure  I  am  not  directing  you  to  the  right  object,  and  you  must 
say,  "No."  But  when  I  ask,  "Is  it  this?"  you  may  say,  "Yes:" 
for  you  may  be  sure  that  I  mean  the  thing  that  Julia  has  actually 
touched.  Go  now.  Remember  that  the  watchword  is  " this"  and 
reply  accordingly.  (Louisa  goes  out.)  Come,  Julia,  what  will  you 
touch? 

JuuA.  There,  I  touch  the  work-basket.  Come  in,  Louisa. 
(Louisa  returns.) 

Maria  {pointing  to  a  book).    Is  it  that? 

Louisa.    No. 

Maria  {showing  a  pincushion) .     Is  it  that? 

Louisa.    No. 

Maria  {pointing  to  a  newspaper).     Is  it  that? 

Louisa.     No. 

Maria  {showing  a  work-box).     Is  it  that? 

Louisa.    No. 

Maria  {pointing  to  a  basket) .     Is  it  this  ? 

Louisa.  Yes.  {The  other  girls,  being  unacquainted  with  the  play ^ 
look  surprised.) 

Charlotte.    Well,  it  really  was  the  basket  that  Julia  touched. 

Helen.     How  could  Louisa  possibly  know? 

Harriet.  How  could  she  be  sure  that  Julia  had  not  touched  any 
of  the  other  things  that  were  mentioned  ? 

Maria.  Well,  Harriet,  you  shall  go  out  next.  So  first  come  aside 
with  me,  and  I  will  let  you  into  the  secret. 

(By  the  by,  it  must  be  remembered,  that,  in  this  play,  no  one  goes 
out  twice.) 

{She  takes  Harriet  to  the  other  end  of  the  room,  and  whispers 
to  her  that  the  watchword  will  now  be  "that."  Harriet 
goes  out,  and,  while  she  is  away,  Charlotte  touches  the  lamp; 


62  SOME   GAMES   THEY  MIGHT  HAVE  PLAYED. 

and  on  her  return  Maria  questions  her  for  a  while  by  askings 
"  Is  it  this  /  "  to  which,  of  course,  Harriet  answers,  "  No.^' 
But  when  Maria  inquires,  "Is  //that?  "  as  she  points  to  the 
lamp,  Harriet  knows  that  she  may  say,  "  Kfj.") 

THE    MERCHANTS. 

Each  of  the  company,  in  turn,  calls  herself  a  merchant,  and 
mentions  an  article  that  she  has  for  sale.  The  one  next  to 
her  must  say  whether  that  article  is  animal,  vegetable,  or 
mineral.  If  she  makes  a  mistake,  she  loses  her  turn.  If  she 
answers  rightly,  she  becomes  the  next  merchant,  and  pro- 
poses something  for  sale,  asking,  also,  if  it  be  animal,  vegeta- 
ble, or  mineral.     And  in  this  manner  the  play  goes  round. 

Example. 

Maria.  I  am  a  china-merchant,  and  have  a  tea-service  to  sell. 
Is  it  animal,  vegetable,  or  mineral? 

Louisa.  Mineral.  China  is  made  of  clay  and  flint,  and  things 
belonging  to  earth.  Now  it  is  my  turn.  I  am  a  dry-goods  merchant, 
and  have  a  piece  of  gingham  to  sell.  Is  it  animal,  vegetable,  or 
mineral  ? 

Helen.  Vegetable ;  gingham  being  made  of  cotton.  I  keep  a 
grocery,  and  have  a  box  of  candles  to  sell.  Are  they  animal, 
vegetable,  or  mineral  ? 

Charlotte.  Animal.  Candles  are  made  either  of  tallow,  sperma- 
ceti, or  wax,  all  of  which  are  animal  substances.  1  keep  a  cabinet 
warehouse,  and  have  a  dining-table  for  sale.  Is  it  animal,  vegetable, 
or  mineral  ? 

Harriet.  Vegetable  ;  being  made  of  the  wood  of  the  mahogany- 
tree.  I  am  a  silk-merchant,  and  have  a  piece  of  satin  for  sale.  Is  it 
animal,  mineral,  or  vegetable  ? 

Caroline.    Vegetable. 

Harriet.  What !  satin  vegetable  ?  Is  it  not  made  of  silk  thread, 
produced  by  the  silkworm  ?    Therefore  it  must  be  animal.     Caroline, 


CONSEQUENCES.  63 

you  have  lost  your  turn,  and  can  sell  nothing  this  time.  —  Come, 
Emily,  you  are  merchant  now. 

Emily.  I  am  a  stationer,  and  have  a  quire  of  letter-paper  for  sale. 
Is  it  animal,  vegetable,  or  mineral  ? 

Julia.  Vegetable ;  white  paper  being  made  of  linen  or  cotton 
rags.  I  am  a  druggist,  and  have  some  opium  to  sell.  Is  it  animal, 
mineral,  or  vegetable  ? 

Matilda.     Mineral. 

Maria.  Oh,  no,  no  !  Opium  is  vegetable :  it  is  the  condensed 
juice  of  the  poppy.  You  have  lost  your  turn  of  being  merchant, 
Matilda,  and  it  has  now  come  to  me  again. 

Matilda.     I  thought  almost  all  medicines  were  minerals. 

Maria.  A  great  many  of  them  are ;  but  a  very  great  number  of 
drugs  are  made  from  plants,  and  therefore  vegetable. 

CONSEQUENCES. 

This  is  best  played  by  three  persons,  though  four  or  two 
may  engage  in  it.  First  prepare  some  white  pasteboard  or 
some  blank  cards  by  cutting  them  into  small  slips,  all  of  one 
size.  There  should  at  least  be  four  dozen  slips ;  but  eight 
dozen  will  be  better  still,  as  the  game  will  then  be  longer, 
and  more  varied.  We  will,  however,  suppose  that  there  are 
four  dozen  slips  of  card.  First  take  twenty-four  of  these 
slips,  and  write  upon  each,  as  handsomely  and  legibly  as  you 
can,  the  name  of  one  of  your  acquaintances.  Then  take 
twelve  more  cards,  and  write  on  each  the  name  of  a  place, 
as  "In  the  street,"  "In  church,"  "In  the  garden,"  "In  the 
orchard,"  "At  a  ball,"  "At  school,"  etc.  Lastly,  on  the 
remaining  dozen  of  cards  write  the  consequences,  or  what 
happened  to  the  young  ladies.  You  may  say,  for  instance, 
"They  lost  their  shoes,"  "They  tore  their  gloves,"  "They 
took  offence,"  or  something  similar.  The  consequences 
should  be  so  contrived  that  none  of  them  will  appear  absurd 
and  unmeaning  with  reference  to  the  places. 


64  SOME   GAMES   THEY  MIGHT  HAVE  PLAYED. 

When  the  cards  are  all  ready  (and,  when  once  made,  they 
will  last  a  long  time),  the  play  may  begin  by  Julia  taking 
the  two  dozen  that  have  the  names  (two  names  being  read 
together),  Sophia  taking  the  dozen  that  designate  the 
places,  and  Harriet  taking  charge  of  the  consequences. 
Each  had  better  put  her  cards  into  a  small  basket,  from 
which  they  are  to  be  drawn  out  as  they  chance  to  come 
uppermost.  Or  they  may  be  well  shuffled,  and  laid  in  a  pile 
before  each  of  the  players,  with  the  blank  sides  upwards. 
They  must  be  shuffled  every  game. 

Example. 

Julia,  Sophia,  Harriet. 

Julia.  Well,  are  we  all  ready  ?  Come,  then,  let  us  begin,  (^-^^f 
takes  up  two  cards,  and  reads  them,)  "  Louisa  Hartley  and  Helen 
WalUs"  — 

Sophia  {reading  a  card) .     Were  together  "  in  a  phaeton." 

Harriet  {reading).    The  consequence  was,  "they  caught  cold." 

JuuA.     "  Emily  Campbell  and  Clara  Nelson  "  — 

Sophia.    Were  both  "  at  a  ball." 

Harriet.    The  consequence  was,  "they  were  taken  with  fevers  " 

Julia.     "  Maria  Walden  and  Charlotte  Rosewell "  — 

Sophia.     Were  together  "  in  the  street." 

Harriet.    The  consequence  was,  "  they  got  their  feet  wet." 

Julia.     "  Fanny  Milford  and  Ellen  Graves  "  — 

Sophia.    Were  both  "  at  a  party." 

Harriet.     The  consequence  was,  "  their  noses  bled." 

Julia.     "  Amelia  Temple  and  Caroline  Douglas  " — 

Sophia.    Were  together  "  at  the  museum." 

Harriet.     The  consequence  was,  "  they  were  highly  delighted." 

Julia.     "  Sophia  Seymour  and  Harriet  Hartland  "  — 

Sophia.  Ah,  Harriet,  your  name  and  mine  !  {reading)  "were  both 
in  the  kitchen." 

Harriet.    The  consequence  was,  "  they  did  nothing  at  all." 


CONSEQUENCES.  65 

Julia.     "  Matilda  Granby  and  Eliza  Ross  "  — 

Sophia.     Were  together  "  in  the  orchard." 

Harriet.    The  consequence  was,  "  they  quarrelled  and  parted." 

Julia.     "Marianne  Morley  and  Julia  Gordon  "  (that  is  myself)  — 

Sophia.    Were  both  "  in  church." 

Harriet.     The  consequence  was,  "  they  did  not  speak  a  word." 

Julia.     "Adelaide  Elmer  and  Juliet  Fanning"  — 

Sophia.     Were  both  "  at  the  theatre." 

Harriet.     The  consequence  was,  "  they  were  laughing  all  the  time." 

Julia.     "  Georgiana  Bruce  and  Eleanor  Oakley  "  — 

Sophia.    Were  "  on  the  top  of  the  house." 

Harriet.    The  consequence  was,  "  they  sprained  their  ankles." 

Julia.     "  Emmeline  Stanley  and  Laura  Lear  "  — 

Sophia.     Were  both  "  at  school." 

Harriet.    The  consequence  was,  "  they  spoiled  their  bonnets." 

Julia.     "  Margaret  Ashwood  and  Lydia  Barclay  "  — 

Sophia.    Were  together  "  on  a  visit." 

Harriet.     The  consequence  was,  "  they  were  glad  to  get  home." 

Julia.  There  now,  we  have  gone  through  all  the  cards :  so  let 
us  shuffle  them,  and  begin  another  game.  This  time,  Sophia  may 
take  the  names,  Harriet  the  places,  and  I  the  consequences.  I  hope 
the  answers  this  time  also  will  be  somewhat  appropriate. 

If  you  cannot  conveniently  procure  white  pasteboard  or 
blank  cards,  slips  of  thick  white  paper  will  do  nearly  as  well. 
When  not  in  use,  they  should  be  kept  in  a  box. 

Remember,  that,  as  two  names  are  always  read  together, 
the  number  of  names  should  be  double  that  of  the  places 
and  consequences. 

Four  persons  may  play  this  game  by  dividing  the  names 
between  two,  each  of  which  will  read  one  name.  If  played 
by  two  persons  only,  one  must  take  all  the  names,  the  other 
must  read  both  the  places  and  consequences.  This  way  is 
best  for  younger  girls.  For  older  ones,  the  better  plan  is  to 
furnish  slips  of  paper  to  the  company. 


66  SOME   GAMES   THEY  MIGHT  HAVE  PLAYED. 

At  the  top  of  the  paper  each  writes  a  quality  of  a  gentle- 
man. "The  fickle,"  for  instance,  or  *'The  insinuating,"  or 
"The  handsome,"  "The  ugly,"  or  any  epithet,  in  fact,  that 
may  occur  to  the  mind  at  the  moment.  But  nobody  may  see 
what  the  neighbors  to  the  right  and  left  have  written.  The 
top  of  each  paper  is  then  folded  down  so  as  to  hide  what 
has  been  written,  and  each  one  passes  his  paper  to  his 
neighbor  on  the  right,  so  that  every  player  has  now  a  new 
paper  before  him.  On  this  he  writes  a  gentleman's  name ; 
if  that  of  one  of  the  gentlemen  in  the  company,  so  much 
the  better.  Again  the  papers  are  passed  to  the  right  after 
being  folded  over ;  the  beauty  of  the  game  being  that  no 
one  may  write  two  consecutive  sentences  on  the  same  paper. 
The  quality  of  a  lady  is  now  written  (fold,  and  pass  the 
paper),  the  ladys  name,  then  where  they  mety  what  he  said 
to  heVy  what  she  said  to  hint,  the  consequence,  and  what 
the  world  said.  The  papers  are  now  unfolded  in  succes- 
sion, and  the  contents  read,  and  the  queerest  cross  ques- 
tions and  crooked  answers  are  almost  sure  to  result.  For 
instance,  the  following  will  be  a  specimen  :  "  The  conceited 
Mr.  Jones  (one  of  the  company)  and  the  accomplished  Miss 
Smith  met  on  the  top  of  an  omnibus.  He  said  to  her,  'Will 
you  love  me  then  as  now } '  She  said  to  him,  *  How  very 
kind  you  are  ! '  The  consequence  was,  *  they  separated  for 
ever;'  and  the  world  said,  'Serve  them  right.'"  Another 
strip,  on  being  unfolded,  may  produce  some  such  legend  as 
this:  "The  amiable  Artemus  Ward  and  the  objectionable 
Mrs.  Grundy  met  on  the  mall  at  the  Central  Park.  He  said 
to  her,  '  How  do  I  look  .?  *  She  said  to  him,  *  Do  it.'  The 
consequence  was  '  a  secret  marriage  ; '  and  the  world  said, 
*  We  knew  how  it  would  be. '  " 


yOl/  ARE  NOTHING  BUT  A    GOOSE.  6^ 


HOW   TO    GUESS   ANY    NUMBER   THOUGHT   OF. 

Desire  one  of  the  company  to  think  of  any  number  she 
chooses,  provided  it  be  even.  Tell  her  to  triple  it,  halve 
the  product,  triple  this  half,  and  then  tell  you  hov^r  many 
times  nine  will  go  into  it.  Multiply  this  by  two,  and  it  will 
be  the  number  thought  of.  Thus,  suppose  4  to  be  the  num- 
ber ;  you  triple  it,  making  12  ;  halve  this  product,  leaving  6 ; 
again  triple  this,  making  18,  in  which  9  will  go  twice :  this 
"  twice  "  multiplied  by  2  gives  you  4,  the  number  thought 
of.  Or,  to  give  another  example,  suppose  6  to  be  the 
number;  triple  it,  18;  halve  it,  9;  triple  it  again,  27.  You 
ask  how  many  times  9  will  go  in  it,  and,  being  told  3  times, 
multiply  it  by  2,  and  the  answer  is  6. 

HERE  I  BAKE,  AND  HERE  I  BREW. 

A  circle  of  little  girls  hold  each  other  firmly  by  the  hand. 
One  in  the  centre  touches  one  pair  of  hands,  saying,  "  Here 
I  bake  ;"  another,  saying,  "Here  I  brew;"  another,  saying, 
**  Here  I  make  my  wedding-cake  ;  "  another,  saying,  "  Here 
I  mean  to  break  through."  As  she  says  the  last  phrase,  she 
pushes  hard  to  separate  their  hands.  If  she  succeed,  the 
one  whose  hand  gave  way  takes  her  place  :  if  not,  she  keeps 
going  the  rounds  till  she  can  break  through.  Sometimes 
they  exact  a  forfeit  from  any  one  who  tries  three  times  with- 
out success,  but  it  is  usually  played  without  forfeits. 

YOU  ARE  NOTHING  BUT  A  GOOSE. 

This  play  consists  in  telling  a  stoi*y,  and  at  the  same 
time  making  marks  to  illustrate  what  you  are  telling.  For 
instance,  "  An  old  man  and  his  wife  lived  in  a  little  round 
cabin.  I  v^rill  sketch  it  for  you  with  my  pencil,  so  that  you 
may  know  it.     Here  it  is :  o    This  cabin  had  a  window  in 


68  SOME   GAMES   THEY  MIGHT  HAVE  PLAYED. 

the  middle,  which  I  shall  make  thus  :  °  On  one  side  was  a 
projecting  door,  which  I  shall  make  opposite  the  window, 
thus  :  =  From  the  side  opposite  the  door  branched  out  a 
road,  bordered  on  one  side  by  a  hedge.     Here  is  a  print  of 

it :    -^^  This  road  terminated  in  a  large  pond.     Here  it 

is  :     ^^  J^     Herbs  grew  round  it,  which  I  mark  thus : 


^^      One  night  some  robbers  came  to  the  farther  end  of 

this  pond.  I  will  mark  them  thus ;  ^^^.^^  The  old  woman 
heard  them,  and  persuaded  her  husband  to  get  up  and  see 
what  was  the  matter.  The  old  people  travelled  along,  down 
to  about  the  middle  of  the  pond,  and  there  they  stopped.  I 
shall  represent  them  thus :  ||  ||  Each  one  held  out  a  hand 
to  keep  silence,  which  movement  I  shall  mark  thus : 

"  But  they  did  not  hear  any  thing ;  for  the  robbers  had 
taken  fright,  and  run  away.  After  standing  out  in  the  cold 
some  time  for  nothing,  the  old  man  said  to  his  wife,  *  Go 
back  to  the  house  :  you  are  nothing  but  a  goose.'  "  As  you 
say  these  words,  hold  up  the  sheet  of 
paper  on  which  you  have  been  drawing, 
and  the  company  will  see  the  print  of  a 
goose  rudely  sketched,  thus : 

While  making  your  marks,  you  must 
be  careful  that  those  who  are  watching  you  see  the  print 
sideways  or  upside  down :  otherwise  they  will  be  apt  to  sus- 
pect your  design  before  you  finish  it. 

THE   PUZZLE   WALL. 

Suppose  there  were  a  pond,  round  which  four  poor  men 
built  their  houses,  thus  : 


THE  PUZZLE    WALL. 


69 


o 


Suppose  four  wicked  rich  men  afterwards  built  houses  around 
the  poor  people,  thus  : 

O 

o 


O  O 


d? 


O  O 


o 

O 


and  wished  to  have  all  the  water  of  the  pond  to  themselves. 
How  could  they  build  a  high  wall  so  as  to  shut  out  the  poor 
people  from  the  pond  ?  You  might  try  on  your  slate  a  great 
while,  and  not  do  it.     I  will  show  you. 


RONDOS   AND   MUSIC. 

French  children  are  especially  fond  of  these  graceful 
games,  and  several  are  given  here.  The  songs,  of  course, 
require  memorizing,  and  some  one  who  plays  the  piano  will 
add  much  to  the  enjoyment,  though  this  is  not  essential. 


70 


SOME   GAMES   THEY  MIGHT  HAVE  PLAYED. 


GIROFLE,    GIROFLA  ! 


.     fie, 


g» 


ro    -    fla! 


Some 


in        curls,      and       some 


^ 


^^ 


^ 


^ 


fe 


-v-^ 


>. K- 


•y— V- 


:=M4 


iPI] 


in  braids,    Gi  •  ro    .    lie,       gi   -   ro    -  fla!  •  fl^,       gi  -  ro  -  fla! 


The  players  range  themselves  in  a  line,  holding  each 
other's  hands,  the  tallest  taking  her  station  in  the  middle, 
and  leading  the  song.     One  of  the  number,  who,  instead  of 


GIROFLE,   GIROFLA!  *J\ 

joining  her  companions,  has  been  left  standing  apart,  then 
dances  up  to  them,  singing  the  first  verse,  "Here's  a  band 
of  pretty  maids,"  etc.,  returning  to  her  place  when  she  has 
finished  it.  The  other  players  then  advance  and  retire  in 
the  same  manner,  singing  their  answering  verse.  This  in 
repeated  until  they  come  to  the  question  — 

"  What  if,  after  all,  you  should  —  ' 

Girofl^,  girofla ! 
Meet  the  old  witch  in  the  wood  ? 
Girofl^,  girofla ! " 

To  which  the  person  addressed  must  reply  by  crooking  her 
fingers  to  represent  claws,  and  assuming  as  terrible  a  voice 
and  appearance  as  possible,  as  she  sings,  "  I  would  frighten 
her  —  this  way,"  etc.;  her  companions  meanwhile  joining 
hands,  and  dancing  round  her ;  after  which  the  game  finishes. 

FIRST  VERSE.  —  SOLO. 

Here's  a  band  of  pretty  maids, 

Girofld,  girofla ! 
Some  in  curls,  and  some  in  braids, 

Girofld,  girofla ! 

CHORUS. 

They  are  fair  as  well  as  good, 

Girofle,  girofla ! 
And  behave  as  maidens  should, 

Girofld,  girofla ! " 

SOLO. 

Give  me  one  of  them,  I  pray : 

Girofld,  girofla ! 
Do  not  take  them  all  away, 

Girofld,  girofla ! 

CHORUS. 

No,  indeed !     I  could  not  spare  — 

Girofla,  girofla ! 
Even  one  bright  curl  of  hair, 

Girofld,  girofla ! 


72  SOME   GAMES   THEY  MIGHT  HAVE  PLAYED. 

SOLO. 

I  must  seek  the  wood  alone, 

Girofld,  girofla ! 
Since  you  will  not  give  me  one, 

Girofld,  girofla ! 

CHORUS. 

,   .  In  the  dark  and  lonely  wood, 

Girofld,  girofla ! 
You  can  have  no  purpose  good, 
Girofld,  girofla! 

SOLO. 

Violets,  both  white  and  blue, 

Girofla,  girofla ! 
There  I  find,  and  cowslips  too, 

Girofld,  girofla ! 

CHORUS. 

What  if  you  should  meet  the  king  — 

Girofle,  girofla ! 
Whilst  your  flowers  gathering  ? 

Girofld,  girofla ! 

SOLO. 

I  would  make  him  courtesies  three, 

Girofle,  girofla ! 
Say,  "  Long  live  your  Majesty !  " 

Girofld,  girofla ! 

CHORUS. 

What  if  you  should  meet  the  queen  ? 

Girofld,  girofla ! 
That  would  startle  you,  I  ween, 

Girofld,  girofla ! 

SOLO. 

I  would  offer  her  my  flowers, 

Girofld,  girofla ! 
To  perfume  her  royal  bowers, 
Girofld,  girofla ! 


GOOD-DAY,   CECILIA  I 


n 


CHORUS. 


What  if,  after  all,  you  should  — 

Girofld,  girofla ! 
Meet  the  old  witch  in  the  wood  ? 

Girofla,  girofla ! 


SOLO. 


I  would  frighten  her —  this  way, 

Girofld,  girofla ! 
Till  she  dared  no  longer  stay, 
,  Girofla,  girofla! 


GOOD-DAY,    CECILIA  ! 


'mm^ 


ther  had 


child 


but 


^^ 


l-M-4 


74 


SOME   GAMES   THEY  MIGHT  HAVE  PLAYED. 


pret .  ty      Ce  -  ci    -     li    .   a,  Ah !        Ah !        Ce  -  ci    -     li    -    a ! 


^i 


S 


-#-v- 


*Ti: 


feCT^JJ^a 


One  of  the  players  is  blindfolded,  and  a  long  wand  or  stick 
given  her.  Her  companions  then  join  hands,  and  dance 
round  her,  singing  the  first  verse  of  the  rondo.  When  this 
is  finished,  they  pause,  and  the  blindfolded  person,  extend- 
ing her  wand,  touches  one  of  them,  saying,  "  Good-day, 
Cecilia  !  "  to  which  she  must  immediately  respond  by  taking 
hold  of  the  end  of  the  wand,  and  repeating  the  same  words. 
The  other  one  then  resumes,  "  Ah,  ah,  Cecilia !  "  which 
having  been  duly  echoed  by  her  companion,  if  she  does  not 
then  succeed  in  discovering  her  identity,  she  lowers  her 
wand,  and  the  other  players  resume  their  dance  and  song, 
again  pausing  at  the  end  of  the  second  verse.  The  person 
touched  is,  of  course,  allowed  to  disguise  her  voice  to  the 
best  of  her  ability. 


GOOD-DAY,    CECILIA!  75 

My  father  had  no  child  but  me, 
He  banished  me  across  the  sea : 

Good-day,  my  pretty  Cecilia ; 

Ah,  ah,  Cecilia ! 

He  banished  me  across  the  sea  : 
The  boatman  gay  then  said  to  me,  — 

"  Good-day,  my  pretty  Cecilia ; 

Ah,  ah,  Cecilia ! " 

The  boatman  gay  then  said  to  me, 
"  What  will  you  give  me  for  my  fee  ?  " 

Good-day,  my  pretty  Cecilia ; 

Ah,  ah,  Cecilia ! 

"  What  will  I  give  you  for  your  fee  ? 
Pve  but  these  golden  guineas  three." 

Good-day,  my  pretty  Cecilia ; 

Ah,  ah,  Cecilia ! 

"  You've  but  these  golden  guineas  three  ? 
Then  sing  instead  a  song  to  me." 

Good-day,  my  pretty  Cecilia ; 

Ah,  ah,  Cecilia ! 

"  I'll  sing  instead  a  song  to  thee. 
The  same  the  bird  sings  on  the  tree." 

Good-day,  my  pretty  Cecilia ; 

Ah,  ah,  Cecilia ! 

"  The  same  the  bird  sings  on  the  tree; 
And  this  is  what  the  song  shall  be : 

Good-day,  my  pretty  Cecilia ; 

Ah,  ah,  Cecilia ! 

"  And  this  is  what  the  song  shall  be  : 
When  you  guess  right,  we'll  set  you  free." 

Good-day,  my  pretty  Cecilia ; 

Ah,  ah,  Cecilia ! 

When  the  blindfolded  person  makes  a  correct  guess,  she 
changes  places  with  the  one  v^^hose  identity  she  has  dis- 
covered. 


^6  SOME  GAMES   THEY  MIGHT  HAVE  PLAYED, 


THE   NEW   FRENCH   FASHION. 


K^Tl—!-^ 


^ 


Do         you  know      how  now       they       dance,       Do 


w^==^m 


-* — T 


I 


^ 


i 


#-> — f- 


;■  ;  I  J'  n  ;'  i^ 


-4 — #- 


you     know    how    now        they       dance,  Do       you      know  how    now 


i».rj   t    Hf    -N^^^i^M 


they  dance.       In  the  new     French  fash 


ion? 


The  leader  of  the  game  is  called  the  captain,  and  his 
movements  must  be  imitated  by  all  the  other  players. 


THE  NEW  FRENCH  FASHION  77 

Captain  and  men  dance  round,  joining  hands,  and  sing- 
ing, — 

Do  you  know  how  now  they  dance  \bis.  - 

In  the  new  French  fashion  ? 

until  the  air  has  been  once  gone  through.  They  then  pause  ; 
and  the  captain  says,  "  Attention  to  the  word  of  command ! 
Right  hand  !  Left  hand  !  "  at  the  same  time  stretching  out 
one  hand  after  another ;  his  companions  doing  the  same. 
They  dance  round  again,  singing,  — 

This  is  the  way  now  we  dance 
In  the  new  French  fashion ! 

SECOND. 

Let  us  go  on  with  this  dance  \bis. 

In  the  new  French  fashion ! 

Captain.  Attention  to  the  word  of  command!  Right 
hand  !     Left  hand  !     Right  foot !     Left  foot  1  and  — - 

This  is  the  way  now  we  dance 
In  the  new  French  fashion ! 

THIRD. 

Let  us  try  again  this  dance  \his* 

In  the  new  French  fashion ! 

Captain.  Attention  to  the  word  of  command  !  Right 
hand!  Left  hand!  Right  foot!  Left  foot  I  Right  side! 
{embracing  the  next  player)  diXid  — 

This  is  the  way  now  we  dance 
In  the  new  French  fashion  I 

FOURTH. 

Let  us  now  conclude  this  dance 
In  the  new  French  fashion ! 


78 


SOME   GAMES    THE  Y  MIGHT  HA  VE  PL  A  YED. 


Captain.  Attention  to  the  word  of  command  !  Right 
hand  !  Left  hand  !  Right  foot !  Left  foot !  Right  side  ! 
Left  side !  (embracing  the  players  on  both  sides  of  him)  and  — 

This  is  the  way  now  we  dance 
In  the  new  French  fashion ! 

The  captain's  movements  must  be  imitated  by  all  the 
other  players,  and  he  himself  must  be  careful  to  execute 
»ach  movement  as  he  names  it. 


SOWING  OATS. 


i 


M 


^ 


d     d 


p^^? 


I 


y 


This     is     the    way    my     fa  -  ther  sows,    This    is     the   way     my 

■ I N_ 


f^ 


:ir=^ 


h=^ 


J^^ 


->  ^  ^ 


1^1^ 


^ 


tf 


% 


\ 


^ 


fa    -  ther    sows       His 


as  through  his    fields      he     goes.    His 


f\i  t 


t  t  ^ 


f— i-f— r 


^g 


^ 


SOWING   OATS. 


79 


e 


t* 


:p=p: 


Xr- 


M 


oats        as     through  his     fields     he      goes;    And    when      the    grain  spring 


*: 


^^S 


IFt^ 


s 


ill 


^ 


f-^    7     f?    7 


*  3 


I 


Ifc 


Ps — V 


^^^ 


from      the  ground,  He      folds       his     arms,     and    gaz  -    ing  round,   says, 


a^ 


•u-?-7  r  "^  =^ 


f=t^  "T  ^    ^  '^-j— 1^  "^  ^    !f^=^ 


tf 


NT:t=l: 


Jl 


;^ 


g 


-^-^ 


■.trust 


"  Soft  rain,  fall,    and  bright  sun,  shine.  And  make  my     oat  -  crop    fine ! ' 


I 


^:;   ^   J   ^  ^ 


p 


:S 


-T-r 


-# — #- 


f — r^ 


»  I  C  I   r 

^    y  — L^ 


u     P7 


i=^ 


3PS 


The  players  then  range  themselves  in  a  circle,  and  dance 
round  without  singing,  whilst  the  air  is  played  once.  The 
•ong  then  commences  thus  :  — 


So  SOME   GAMES   THEY  MIGHT  HAVE  PLAYED. 

I. 

This  is  the  way  my  father  sows  \bis. 

His  oats,  as  through  his  fields  he  goes  ;  \bis. 

{Here  the  players  imitate  the  action  of  sowing) 

And,  when  the  grain  springs  from  the  ground, 
He  folds  his  arms,  and,  gazing  round, 
{Here  they  all  fold  their  arms,  pirouette  round,  and  return  to  their 
places) 

Says,  "  Soft  rain  fall,  and  bright  sun  shine, 
And  make  my  oat-crop  fine ! " 

II. 

This  is  the  way  my  father  reaps  \lns. 

His  oats ;  and  when  they  lie  in  he^s,-^  \bis* 

{Here  they  imitate  the -action  of  reaping 

In  yellow  heaps,  upon  the  ground, 

He  folds  his  arms,  and,  gazing  round, 
{Same  movements  as  in  preceding  verse) 

Says,  "  Rain  keep  off,  and  bright  sun  shine, 

And  make  my  oat-crop  fine ! " 

III. 

This  is  the  way  my  father  binds  \bis. 

His  oats  in  sheaves ;  and,  when  he  finds  \bis. 

{Each  player  here  passes  her  right  arm  round  her  companion's  waist) 

No  more  remaining  on  the  ground, 

He  folds  his  arms,  and,  gazing  round, 
{Same  movements  as  before) 

Says,  "  Thanks  to  rain  and  bright  sunshine, 

My  oat-crop  has  been  fine." 

IV. 

This  is  the  way  my  father's  oats  \bis. 

Are  made  to  lose  their  husky  coats ;  \bis. 

{Here  each  player  imitates  on  her  companion's  shoulder  the  action  of 
threshing 


GALOO.  8l 

And  when  the  flail  rings  on  the  ground, 
He  folds  his  arms,  and,  gazing  round, 
{Same  movements  as  before) 

Says,  "  Come  what  will,  come  rain  or  shine, 
My  crop  is  housed  in  time." 

THE    BLACK   ART. 

This  is  a  very  simple  trick,  which  may  cause  much  mysti- 
fication. There  must  be  two  initiated  ones.  The  magician 
sends  his  partner  out  of  the  room,  and  announces  that  any 
one  of  the  company  may  choose  an  object  in  the  room,  which 
his  partner  will  recognize  as  soon  as  asked.  Suppose  a  book 
on  the  table  is  chosen.  The  partner  is  called  in.  Magician 
points  with  his  wand  to  a  variety  of  objects,  and  finally  to 
his  shoe,  a  black  ribbon,  or  any  other  black  thing,  immedi- 
ately before  indicating  the  chosen  book.  The  magician  may 
make  his  list  of  questions  long  or  short,  as  he  thinks  best. 
If  the  tests  are  repeated  many  times,  it  varies  the  game  to 
substitute  the  white  or  red  art,  wherein  the  object  mentioned 
last  before  the  right  one  is  white  or  red,  instead  of  black. 

GALOO. 

Of  much  the  same  order  of  trick  is  "galoo,"  which  seems 
quite  as  mysterious  as  the  "black  art.'*  One  leaves  the  room, 
the  partner  remaining  in  it,  and  selecting  a  person  to  be 
guessed.  She  then  points  to  one  and  another,  at  each  per- 
son saying,  "Galoo.^"  and  the  child  in  the  hall  answering 
"  No,"  till  the  right  one  is  reached.  The  secret  lies  in  the 
fact  that  the  one  who  spoke  last  before  the  room  was  left  is 
the  one  chosen.     If  no  one  speaks,  the  partner  is  the  one. 


82  SOME   GAMES   THEY  MIGHT  HAVE  PLAYED. 


TO   PUT   THREE    CHILDREN    THROUGH    THE    KEYHOLE. 

This  is  done  by  choosing  three  children,  with  a  great  deal 
of  ceremony,  and  arranging  them  by  the  door,  with  orders 
to  stand  perfectly  still  till  their  turn  comes.  Then  write 
their  names,  each  on  a  separate  slip  of  paper,  and  roll  them 
up,  so  that  they  easily  pass  through  the  keyhole. 

HOW  TWO    CHILDREN    MAY  STAND    ON    A    HANDKERCHIEF  WITH- 
OUT   TOUCHING    ONE    ANOTHER. 

Lay  a  handkerchief  across  the  sill  of  a  door,  close  the 
door  carefully,  and  have  a  child  stand  on  each  side  of  it,  on 
the  bit  of  handkerchief  which  will  extend  beyond  it. 

FRENCH    BLIND    MAN's    BUFF. 

Children  form  in  circle.  One  is  in  the  centre,  olindfolded, 
and  furnished  with  a  stick.  The  children  dance  round  in 
the  circle  to  music,  if  possible,  until  the  blindfolded  person 
knocks  the  stick  on  the  floor.  They  then  stop  instantly. 
The  blindfolded  lifts  the  stick  to  some  one  in  the  circle,  and 
asks  a  question.  The  one  addressed  answers  in  a  disguised 
voice,  holding  his  end  of  the  stick  close  to  his  mouth  to  help 
in  disguising  the  voice.  As  soon  as  the  blindfolded  guesses 
any  one  by  means  of  the  voice,  he  changes  places  with  that 
person. 

bachelor's  kitchen. 

All  the  children  sit  in  a  row  or  a  circle.  Any  number  can 
play.  One  is  named  "the  old  bachelor."  He  goes  to  each 
child,  in  turn,  and  says,  "  Have  you  any  thing  for  a  poor  old 
bachelor  like  me  .^ " 

Each  player  makes  some  answer,  offering  the  "  bachelor  *' 
any  thing,  from  a  crying  doll  to  an  elephant.  The  bachelor 
then  questions  the  giver  about  the  article.    The  giver  is  onlv 


EASTER  EGGS.  83 

allowed  to  respond  to  the  questions  by  repeating  the  name 
of  his  article.  If  he  speaks  an  unnecessary  word,  or  laughs, 
he  must  pay  a  forfeit.  If  a  player  has  failed,  or  cannot  by 
any  device  be  made  to  fail,  the  bachelor  passes  on  to  the 
next  player. 

EASTER    EGGS. 

If  a  party  is  given  on  Easter  Monday,  or  in  Easter  week, 
these  may  be  made  a  very  pretty  and  attractive  feature. 

Decorated  Easter  eggs  can,  of  course,  be  bought  at  con- 
fectioners',  from  simple  painted  eggs  to  gorgeous  egg-shaped 
boxes  filled  with  confectionery  ;  but  pretty  home-made  ones 
can  be  easily  prepared. 

First  the  eggs  must  be  blown,  or  boiled  hard.  If  boiled, 
they  are  less  fragile,  but,  of  course,  cannot  be  kept  very 
long.  If  blown,  the  hole  can  be  covered  with  a  little  picture, 
or  bit  of  ribbon,  no  matter  what  ornamentation  is  used  for 
the  rest  of  the  egg-shell. 

For  coloring  the  shell,  Paas  Dyes  are  effective,  and  easily 
used.  They  can  be  bought  at  any  fancy-store.  Directions 
for  use  are  given  with  every  package. 

An  old-fashioned  way  of  coloring  the  boiled  eggs  is 
to  wrap  a  piece  of  bright  silk,  or  cheap  calico,  around  the 
eggs  before  putting  them  into  water.  The  water  must  be 
cold  when  put  on  the  stove,  and  must  be  allowed  to  boil  at 
least  twenty  minutes.  This  method  may  make  the  shells 
very  pretty,  but  it  is  not  always  sure  of  success. 

A  third  manner  of  decoration  is  to  paste  little  decalco- 
manie  pictures  over  the  white  shell.  The  pictures  can  be 
bought  in  sheets  very  cheaply.  If  the  weather  is  warm  at 
Easter  time,  the  eggs  can  be  hidden  out  of  doors,  undet 
bushes,  or  in  low  trees.  Ingenuity  can  be  exercised  in  mak- 
ing pretty  little  nests  of  dried  moss  or  twigs,  decorated  with 
ribbons,  which  serve   as  resting-places   for  the  eggs.     The 


84  SOME  GAMES   THEY  MIGHT  HAVE  PLAYED. 

children  are  told  to  hunt  for  them,  and  of  course  are  allowed 
to  keep  all  that  they  find.  Prizes  can  be  offered  to  the  most 
successful  hunter  and  to  those  who  find  none.  If  the  weather 
is  not  suitable,  the  eggs  can  be  hidden  in  the  house. 

Another  pretty  device  for  giving  the  Easter  eggs  is  to 
have  a  candy  or  cotton-wool  hen  sitting  upon  an  egg-filled 
nest  on  the  tea-table.  If  she  is  made  of  candy,  she  can  be 
broken  up,  after  the  distribution  of  the  eggs,  and  form  part 
of  the  feast. 

Or  the  eggs  can  be  served  in  a  dish  called  "  the  ostrich- 
nest,"  or  "a  dessert  pie."  This  is  a  large  tin  pan  filled 
with  sand,  in  which  the  eggs  are  placed.  It  can  be  brought 
to  the  children  at  the  close  of  their  tea,  and  introduced  with 
a  little  story  of  how  Chinese  eat  birds'  nests,  and  that  the 
host  has  determined  to  let  the  children  try  whether  they  like 
it  or  not.  Each  child  is  given  a  saucer  full  of  pie,  and  finds 
an  Q,^'g.  If  there  are  only  a  few  children,  they  could  dig  in 
the  sand  for  the  eggs  which  the  ostrich  has  put  there. 

For  a  party  at  a  season  of  the  year  when  Easter  eggs  are 
not  suitable,  it  is  pretty  to  give  the  children  some  little 
present.     This  may  be  done  in  a  variety  of  ways. 

BONBONS. 

Paper  caps  and  other  articles  of  paper  attire  are  done  up 
in  snapping  bonbons,  which  may  be  bought  at  any  confec- 
tioner's. 

BALLOONS. 

Get  as  many  red  balloons  as  there  are  children.  Let  them 
float  in  a  room,  with  strings  attached.  Open  the  doors,  and 
let  the  children  rush  in,  and  try  to  catch  the  strings.  In 
New  York  white  balloons  with  children's  names  in  red 
letters  can  be  made  to  order. 


SC/SSO/^  PRESENTS.  85 


GRAB-BAG. 


Put  a  number  of  little  presents  in  a  bag,  and  let  the  chil- 
dren grab  for  them. 


PAPER   BAGS. 


Fill  a  large  paper  bag  with  candy,  suspend  it  to  chandelier, 
blindfold  the  children,  and  let  each,  in  turn,  try  to  break  the 
bag  with  a  stick.  When  it  breaks,  all  scramble  for  the  candy. 
A  clean  sheet  should  be  spread  under  the  bag. 


SCISSOR   PRESENTS. 


Tie  the  present  to  the  chandelier  with  a  string;  lead 
child  in  turn  to  end  of  room  ;  blindfold  him,  turn  him  round, 
and  let  him  march  to  chandelier,  and  cut  down  the  present 
with  scissors. 


86  HINTS  FOR  PARLOR  PLAYS, 


CHAPTER  V. 

HINTS   FOR  PARLOR  PLAYS. 

In  all  entertainments  at  home,  whether  tableaux,  living 
statuary,  charades,  or  short  plays,  it  is  well  to  have  ready 
certain  "  properties,"  as  they  are  called,  that  add  greatly  to 
the  effect,  yet  need  not  be  expensive.  There  are  various 
books  giving  full  directions  for  building  a  stage,  and  arran- 
ging every  thing  connected  with  it,  often  at  great  cost  and 
trouble.  With  such  work  this  book  does  not  meddle,  pre- 
ferring to  give  only  what  is  possible  anywhere,  and  need 
cost  but  a  very  small  sum.  But  there  are  certain  directions 
which  apply  to  the  simplest  as  well  as  to  the  most  elaborate 
entertainment,  and  will  help  in  "the  arrangement  of  stage 
scenery,  furniture,  curtains,  background,  costumes,  and 
light." 

A  stage  raised  from  the  floor  is  of  course  most  desirable  ; 
but,  where  this  cannot  be,  a  parlor  with  folding-doors  is  next 
best.  Where  tableaux  or  living  statuary  are  to  be  attempted, 
one  person  should  be  chosen  as  stage-manager,  who  has  a 
good  eye  for  color  and  grouping.  A  frame  is  the  first  essen- 
tial, and  must  be  made  to  fit  the  front  of  the  stage,  whether 
this  is  a  raised  platform  or  merely  a  back-parlor. 

"Four*  pieces  of  wood  an  inch  thick,  and  about  one  foot  in 

*  The  directions  which  follow  are  taken  from  a  very  carefully  prepared  little  book 
entitled  Parlor  Exhibitions,  edited  by  Mr  George  W.  Bartlett,  a  name  familiar  to  all  the 
readers  of  St.  Nicholas  and  Wide  Awake,  and  published  by  Dick  &  Fitzgerald,  New 
Y«rk. 


HINTS  FOR  PARLOR  PLAYS.  8y 

width,  are  neatly  joined  at  the  corners ;  and  over  the  entire 
open  space  is  fastened  a  coarse  black  lace,  through  which 
all  the  pictures  are  to  be  seen.  The  wooden  frame  must 
now  be  covered  with  glazed  cambric,  bright  yellow  in  color, 
which  is  drawn  tightly  over  the  wood,  and  fastened  securely, 
being  neatly  drawn  over  the  edges.  At  regular  intervals 
fasten  large  full  rosettes  of  the  cambric.  It  is  a  great  im- 
provement, though  not  necessary,  to  mix  black  with  the 
rosettes,  and  carry  a  narrow  strip  of  black  all  round  the 
inner  and  outer  edges  of  the  frame.  Upon  the  inside  of 
the  frame  fasten  several  curtains  of  colored  gauze,  —  blue 
for  ghostly  scenes,  and  rose-color  for  fairy  scenes.  Arrange 
these  so  that  they  can  be  lowered  or  raised  easily  when 
required.     The  frame  is  now  ready  to  put  up. 

"If  you  have  a  pair  of  full,  handsome  crimson  curtains, 
they  are  very  effective  placed  upon  a  bar  inside  the  frame, 
about  one  foot  from  it,  and  looped  at  the  sides  high  enough 
to  clear  the  heads  of  the  performers.  The  drop-curtain  (to 
be  raised  and  lowered)  should  be  hung  about  two  feet  from 
the  frame,  on  the  inside. 

"  When  your  frame  is  up,  fasten,  at  the  sides  and  top,  rods 
with  gas-jets ;  or,  if  gas  is  not  available,  lamps  should  be 
located  at  regular  intervals  to  light  the  tableaux. 

"The  frame  now  being  ready,  stretch  across  the  sides  of 
the  stage  and  background  dark  gray  or  brown  muslin,  or 
woollen  cloth,  so  as  to  shut  out  all  objects  behind  the 
frames. 

"  The  best  arrangement  for  a  background  is  to  stretch  a 
strong  wire  down  each  side  of  the  stage,  and  another  one 
across  the  back,  from  which  the  dark  muslin  or  woollen  cur- 
tains hang  down,  forming  a  complete  enclosure  behind  the 
frame.  The  wires  should  be  placed  so  as  to  leave  free  pas- 
sage on  each  side  of  and  behind  the  enclosure,  and  furnish 


88  HINTS  FOR  PARLOR  PLAYS, 

a  space,  out  of  sight  of  the  audience,  for  putting  away 
furniture  and  properties,  etc.,  when  not  in  use. 

"  If  the  parlor  is  used  as  a  stage,  the  floor  should  also  be 
covered  with  plain  dark  cloth,  that  can  be  removed  when 
the  scene  requires  a  parlor  carpet. 

"  It  must  be  remembered  that  carpet  and  background  must 
be  of  woollen  material,  or  unglazed  cotton.  Any  material 
that  will  shine  in  a  strong  light  will  ruin  the  effect  of  a 
tableau.  Woollen  is  by  far  the  best,  as  it  completely  ab- 
sorbs the  light,  and  hangs  in  uniform  folds. 

"In  grouping,  the  colors  must  be  very  carefully  selected  to 
prevent  either  glaring  or  gloomy  effect.  Often  a  piece  of 
gay  drapery  thrown  over  a  chair  will  enliven  a  picture  where 
all  the  figures  are  in  the  dark  evening-dress  of  a  gentleman 
of  the  present  day ;  but,  where  ladies  are  grouped,  their  own 
dress  is  usually  sufficiently  bright. 

"Never  bring  two  bright  colors  against  each  other.  If 
they  are  necessary  in  the  same  group,  introduce  between 
them  some  white,  black,  or  neutral-tinted  drapery.  If  they 
are  light  as  well  as  bright,  use  gray  or  brown  to  harmon- 
ize them. 

"White  should  always  be  sparingly  and  judiciously  used  in 
tableaux,  and  should  be  of  either  very  glossy  fabric  or  very 
thin  material ;  as  tulle,  book-muslin,  or  lace.  Thick  white 
material,  like  lawn,  marseilles,  or  pique,  is  not  effective  in 
vtableaux. 

"  The  arrangement  of  color  in  tableaux  must  be  governed 
by  the  same  rule  as  in  painted  pictures  ;  and  it  must  be 
borne  in  mind,  that  not  only  the  personages  who  are  grouped 
for  the  picture  are  to  be  considered,  but  the  accessories  and 
background  will  also  strike  the  eye  of  the  spectator  at  the 
same  time." 


SIMPLE    TABLEAUX   VIVANTS.  89 

SIMPLE   TABLEAUX    VIVANTS,    AND    FRAME    PICTURES. 

"  We  will  now  give  a  few  plain  directions  by  which  effec- 
tive scenes  can  be  arranged  in  any  room,  with  but  little 
trouble  or  expense. 

"  Necessary  Materials.  —  Ten  wooden  boxes  of  various 
sizes. 

"  Two  half-length  picture-frames. 

'*  Twenty  feet  of  annealed  wire. 

"Two  dozen  curtain-rings. 

"  Twelve  large  lamps,  or  a  gas-rod  twelve  feet  long,  with 
fifteen  five-foot  burners  inserted  at  regular  intervals  upon  it. 

"  Six  yards  black  tarlatan-muslin. 

"  Some  narrow  pine  boards. 

"  The  Stage  and  Frames.  —  If  the  room  has  no  foldings 
doors,  a  thick  curtain  or  bed-quilt  must  be  contrived  to  draw 
across  the  room  at  one  end,  leaving  a  space  about  fifteen 
feet  deep  for  the  stage.  This  space  is  draped  with  curtains 
of  maroon  or  dark-colored  stuff  by  stretching  wire  across 
the  sides  and  back  of  the  stage  near  the  ceiling,  and  hang- 
ing them  by  means  of  rings  firmly  sewed  upon  the  upper 
edge  of  the  cloth.  This  will  form  a  square  room,  draped  all 
around  except  in  front.  Then  procure  four  upright  pieces 
of  narrow  board,  just  the  height  of  the  room,  for  posts. 
Screw  two  of  the  posts,  one  on  each  side,  on  the  back  of 
each  frame,  so  that,  when  each  frame  is  raised  upright  upon 
its  supporting  posts,  the  bottom  of  both  frames  will  be  four 
feet  and  a  half  from  the  floor.  Set  the  posts,  with  the 
frames  upon  them,  upright,  two  feet  and  a  half  in  front  of 
the  back-wall,  and  secure  them,  leaving  a  distance  of  four 
feet  between  the  frames.  Then  nail  four  strips  of  board 
five  inches  wide,  to  form  a  larger  frame,  between  the  two 
smaller  ones.     The  dimensions  of  the  large  frame  are  six 


go  HINTS  FOR  PARLOR  PLAYS. 

feet  and  a  half  in  height  between  the  top  and  bottom 
strips  which  form  the  frame ;  the  width,  four  feet,  the  same 
as  the  distance  between  the  two  smaller  frames  ;  and  the 
bottom  strip  two  feet  and  a  half  above  the  floor." 

When  this  is  completed,  it  will  present  the  appearance  of 
a  large  frame  between  two  smaller  ones. 

Cover  all  the  space  above  and  below  the  frames  with  clotli 
of  the  same  color  as  that  upon  the  back-wall,  so  that  the 
frames  will  appear  to  be  hanging  upon  the  wall. 

Behind  the  frames,  erect  a  platform  two  feet  and  a  half 
above  the  floor,  upon  which  the  performers  are  to  stand. 

If  gas  is  available,  fasten  a  rod,  with  burners  upon  it,  over 
the  top  of  the  curtain  or  folding-doors.  The  best  way  is  to 
make  for  it  a  shelf  supported  upon  two  posts  about  eight 
feet  high.  Over  the  burners,  and  behind  them,  tack  sheets 
of  common  tin,  bent  so  as  to  throw  the  light  down.  If  you 
cannot  get  the  tin  conveniently,  fasten  behind  the  burners 
a  white  sheet,  which  will  serve  the  purpose  very  well.  If 
the  curtain  does  not  come  to  the  ceiling,  a  shawl  or  thick 
cloth  must  be  put  above  it,  so  that  the  light  cannot  show 
over  the  curtain  into  the  darkened  room  where  the  audience 
sit.  When  gas  cannot  be  had,  and  kerosene-lamps  are  used, 
holes  must  be  made  in  the  board  to  fasten  them  firmly  in 
their  places. 

Next  make  a  veil  of  black  tarlatan-mushn  large  enough 
to  cover  the  space  before  the  folding-doors  or  posts  which 
support  the  curtain. 

The  construction  of  the  frames  will  be  clearly  understood 
by  examining  the  diagram  on  the  next  page,  in  which  all 
the  details  of  measurements,  and  the  relative  positions  of 
the  frames,  are  very  plainly  exhibited  in  skeleton  form, 
previous  to  applying  the  covering,  which  hides  all  of  the 
construction  except  the  three  picture-frames. 


PLAN  FOR    THE   FRAMES. 


9< 


A 

B 

B 

A 

B 

* 
A^ 

\                                       / 

4  FEET. 

b< 

\ 

/ 

V              y 

3   FEET. 

g 

3  FEET. 

i 

iR 

/ 

\ 

/                                 S 

A 

c 

C 

B 

S                                      A 

■>«■ 

/                        A 

B              ^    A 

as; 

1 

Fig.  36. 


PLAN    FOR    THE    FRAMES. 


A  A  A  A,  four  posts  set  upright  from  floor  to  ceiling,  two 
feet  and  a  half  from  back  of  stage,  and  at  distances  apart 
marked  on  diagram. 


92  HINTS  FOR  PARLOR  PLAYS. 

Spaces  marked  B  to  be  filled  in  with  material  to  match 
the  drapery  back  of  the  stage. 

Dotted  line  C  is  the  raised  platform  behind  the  three 
frames,  upon  which  the  performers  stand. 

Scenery  is  more  easily  managed  than  one  would  suppose. 
For  the  home  of  the  drunkard,  or  of  the  starving  seamstress, 
a  small  pine  table  holding  a  candle  stuck  in  a  porter  bottle, 
and  a  broken  chair,  will  be  all  that  is  needed. 

Flower-pots  or  a  box  of  plants  suggest  a  garden-scene. 

For  a  nursery,  a  cradle  and  some  toys. 

For  a  prison-scene,  an  iron  bedstead  and  a  small  table, 
no  chairs. 

For  a  moonlight-scene,  the  light  in  front  must  be  very 
dim.  Cut  a  round  hole  in  the  background  curtain,  and 
cover  it  with  silver  lace,  or  white  tarlatan  with  tinsel  threads 
in  it.  A  gold-fish  globe  full  of  water,  and  two  candles  or 
a  lamp  burning  behind  it,  will  give  a  good  imitation  of 
moonlight. 

Cambric,  or  highly  glazed  paper-muslin,  will  pass  for  satin 
in  a  dim  light,  and  cotton  velvet  answers  every  purpose  for 
richer  dresses  ;  tissue  and  gold  and  silver  paper  making  lace 
and  ornaments  of  all  sorts. 

A  well  can  be  imitated  by  sawing  a  barrel  in  two,  cover- 
ing it  with  gray  cloth  tightly  tacked  on,  and  tacking  white 
tape  irregularly  up  and  down  to  indicate  the  mortar  which 
joins  the  stones.  Nail  on  three  laths  for  uprights  and  a 
cross-piece ;  make  a  windlass  from  other  pieces,  and  hang  on 
a  bucket  and  chain,  and  you  have  a  well  which  can  be  used 
for  a  generation  in  historical  or  scriptural  tableaux,  and  in 
country  scenes. 

These  arrangements  are  for  tableaux  on  rather  a  large 
scale,  or  for  living  statuary.  Two  or  three  tableaux  are 
given,  illustrative  of  what  may  be  done  in  this  way. 


IGNORANCE  IS  BLISS. 


93 


FAITH,  PEACE,  AND  GLORY. 

Construct  a  cross  of  board,  six  inches  wide,  and  about 
seven  feet  high,  the  cross-bar  being  two  feet  six  inches  long. 
Cover  the  cross  with  white  paper  or  muslin,  and  nail  the 
foot  of  the  cross  against  the  back  of  a  box  to  serve  for  a 
pedestal,  and  also  covered  with  white.  The  box  and  cross 
are  placed  in  the  back  centre,  with  another  box  of  the  same 
size  behind  it ;  so  that  the  foot  of  the  cross  will  appear  to 
be  inserted  in  the  centre  of  the  pedestal. 

Faith  stands  upon  the  pedestal,  her  right  hand  resting  on 
the  bar  of  the  cross,  and  her  left  hand  around  the  staff,  or 
upright  portion  of  the  cross. 

Peace  lies  at  the  foot  of  the  cross,  holding  a  white  dove 
in  the  right  hand.  The  drapery  of  Peace  and  Faith  can  be 
made  of  cotton  sheets. 

Fame  stands  in  the  foreground,  on  the  floor,  holding  a 
large  trumpet.  Her  dress  is  made  of  turkey-red,  plaited  in 
front,  and  falling  in  plain  folds  to  the  feet.  For  this  scene 
a  chant  may  be  sung. 

When  the  audience  have  seen  enough  of  this,  lower  the 
curtain.  The  assistants  rapidly  clear  the  stage  ;  draw  away 
the  curtain  which  hides  the  picture,  and  in  one  minute  the 
audience  behold,  to  their  astonishment,  a  set  of  tableaux. 
In  one  frame, 

IGNORANCE    IS    BLISS    (iN   THREE    SCENES). 

Scene  First.  —  At  the  left  of  the  stage  an  old  lady  is 
asleep  in  a  high  chair.  She  is  dressed  in  black,  or  in  any 
plain  dress ;  wears  a  white  apron  ;  and  has  a  white  shawl 
folded  across  her  shoulders  ;  also  a  high  cap  and  spectacles, 
which  have  fallen  upon  her  nose.  At  the  right,  a  girl  sits 
at  the  spinning-wheel.     She  has  on  a  bright,  short  skirt, 


94  HINTS  FOR  PARLOR  PLAYS. 

white  waist,  red  or  black  bodice ;  on  her  head  a  cap  of  lace 
gathered  in  a  rosette,  with  very  long  ribbons  streaming  from 
it ;  on  her  arms  she  has  three  ribbons,  —  one  at  two  inches 
above  the  wrist,  the  next  below  the  elbow,  the  third  near  the 
shoulder.  A  youth  is  kneeling  at  her  feet,  holding  her  left 
hand.  She  looks  archly  at  him,  regardless  of  the  uncon- 
scious grandmother.  The  youth  has  ribbons  upon  his  arms, 
like  the  girl.  He  has  no  coat  on,  but  bright  suspenders 
joined  in  front  with  two  bars. 

Scene  Second.  —  The  lovers  remain  as  before,  except  that 
the  grandmother  has  wakened,  and  is  just  raising  her  broom, 
with  the  intention  of  waking  the  young  man  also. 

Scene  Third. — The  grandmother  holds  the  lovers  apart 
at  arm's-length,  by  grasping  one  ear  of  each.  The  girl  is 
crying  at  the  left  side ;  and  the  youth,  at  the  right  of  grand- 
mother, looks  sheepishly  down,  with  his  finger  in  his  mouth. 
Next,  draw  away  the  back  curtain  again,  and  show  more  pic- 
tures, which  the  assistant  has  had  time  enough  to  prepare. 

In  the  centre  frame  stands  a  gleaner.  In  one  small  frame, 
a  child  with  a  red  cape  over  her  head,  and  a  little  basket  in 
her  hand,  personates  Red  Riding-Hood ;  and  in  the  other, 
a  marchioness. 

the   execution   of  JOAN   OF   ARC. 

Have  no  furniture  upon  the  stage.  In  the  centre  place  a 
wooden  stool  about  six  or  eight  inches  high,  and  behind  this 
have  a  tall,  rough  stick  about  nine  feet  long :  a  young  tree 
stripped  of  branches  is  the  best.  Around  these  pile  fire- 
wood, with  the  bark  on,  some  four  feet  high,  in  a  loose, 
irregular  pile.  The  Joan  of  Arc  selected  should  have  long 
dark  hair,  and  dark  eyes,  and  her  face  well  powdered,  with 
lines  of  India-ink  under  the  eyes  and  in  the  cheeks,  to  give 
it  a  ghastly,  emaciated  look.     The  hair  must  be  parted  be- 


LIVING  STATUARY. 


95 


hind,  and  drawn  forward  to  hang  loosely  over  each  shoulder 
in  front.  The  dress,  of  white  woollen  or  linen,  must  hang  in 
long,  full  folds  from  the  throat,  below  the  feet,  as  like  a 
shroud  as  possible,  and  ungirdled. 

The  figure  must  stand  upon  the  stool,  the  dress  falling  to 
cover  it ;  and  a  rough  rope  must  be  knotted  around  the  waist 
and  the  tall  wood  behind,  as  if  tying  the  Joan  to  the  stake. 

The  hands  should  be  crossed  over  the  breast,  holding  a 
rosary  and  cross,  and  the  head  thrown  slightly  back,  the  eyes 
lifted,  the  lips  a  little  apart,  as  if  in  prayer. 

Very  slow  music  adds  to  the  effect,  and  the  light  should 
be  very  dim. 

This  is  a  very  good  scene,  as  only  one  performer  is  re- 
quired, the  arrangement  is  easy,  and  there  is  no  furniture 
used. 

Living  statuary  is  the  most  troublesome  and  difficult  of  all 
parlor  entertainments,  yet  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and 
satisfactory ;  and  the  directions  given  here  are  from  one 
who  has  made  hundreds  of  experiments,  and  foun<l  out  how 
to  do  the  work  in  the  most  comfortable  as  well  as  most  effec- 
tive way.  If  the  American  girl  has  learned  a  little  light 
carpentering,  she  will  have  no  difficulty  in  preparing  her 
stage ;  but,  as  she  is  more  than  likely  to  know  nothing  about 
it,  the  American  boy  must  hold  himself  ready  with  hammer 
and  nails  to  do  all  the  rough  work  required. 

"All  who  take  part  in  living  statuary  must  have  fine 
figures,  large  arms,  and  as  classic  features  as  our  American 
type  allows ;  and  they  must  also  know  how  to  stand  per 
fectly  still,  which  is  the  hardest  part  of  the  work. 

''  To  whiten  the  face  is  the  first  thing  ;  and  nothing  is 
so  good  for  this  as  the  round  balls  of  '  velvet  chalk,'  which 
must  be  rubbed  on  dry.     Flour  can  be  used,  but  is  by  nc 


96  HINTS  FOR  PARLOR  PLAYS, 

means  as  good.  This  chalk  is  sometimes  mixed  with  glycer- 
ine ;  but  rubbing  on  dry  is  the  only  successful  method  of 
whitening  smoothly,  completely,  and  comfortably.  After 
using,  this  must  be  rubbed  off  when  dry,  and  the  face  must 
not  be  wet,  but  must  have  a  good  coat  of  gelatine  or  vaseline, 
and  no  inconvenience  or  roughness  need  follow. 

"  For  most  performances  the  best  cast  consists  of  two  very 
tall  ladies,  one  a  little  shorter,  and  one  of  medium  height, 
one  large,  muscular  man,  and  one  girl  about  ten  years  old. 
These  performers  can  personate  all  the  parts,  as  they  re- 
semble each  other  so  closely  when  whitened,  that  little  is 
gained  by  changing  the  performers  in  the  various  groups. 
The  man  may  wear  a  suit  of  cotton  tights,  or  a  white,  close- 
fitting,  merino,  woven  shirt,  with  cotton  gloves  sewed  into 
the  sleeves.  He  wears  around  the  waist  a  kilted  skirt  reach- 
ing to  the  knee,  made  of  white  sheeting,  and  a  close-fitting 
cap  made  of  canton  flannel.  He  will  need  two  cotton  sheets 
to  be  draped  from  the  shoulder  in  various  ways. 

"  For  a  Roman  costume  make  a  slit  ten  inches  long  in  the 
middle  of  the  sheet,  through  which  the  head  is  placed.  The 
sheet  is  then  drawn  around  until  the  corner  is  in  front ; 
the  two  sides  are  then  looped  up  to  each  shoulder,  and 
fastened  with  a  round  piece  of  pasteboard  by  tapes. 

"The  child  wears  a  short  frock  or  night-dress  thrown  over 
a  tape  around  the  waist,  long  white  cotton  stockings,  cotton 
gloves  sewed  into  the  sleeves  of  the  frock,  and  a  tight  cap  of 
cotton  flannel. 

**  The  ladies  wear  white  plain  tight-fitting  waists  very  high 
in  the  neck,  fastened  behind,  the  sleeves  of  which  are  made 
of  the  legs  of  white  cotton  stockings,  to  which  white  cotton 
gloves  are  firmly  sewed  after  they  have  been  adjusted  to  the 
arms  by  sewing  on  the  under  side.  No  other  method  of 
whitening  the  arms  is  of  use,  and  it  was  by  this  discovery 


LIVING  STATUARY,  97 

that  the  success  was  first  insured,  for  these  sleeves  show  the 
muscles  to  great  advantage,  and  still  preserve  the  needed 
whiteness  when  in  tension. 

"  The  caps  are  made  of  canton  flannel,  large  enough  to 
cover  the  hair,  which  is  drawn  into  a  bunch  at  the  back  of  the 
head,  like  the  knot  of  Diana.  Braids,  bands,  and  waves  are 
made  of  cotton  wadding,  to  put  on  with  pins,  when  it  is  de- 
sirable to  alter  the  coiffure.  They  wear  white  stockings  and 
white  slippers,  or  sandals  made  of  a  cork  sole,  and  scant  skirts. 
In  draping,  the  first  sheet  is  tied  around  the  waist  with  tape, 
so  that  the  end  which  has  the  hem  touches  the  ground,  the 
rest  of  the  sheet  hanging  over  in  front.  The  lower  portion  of 
this  sheet  thus  forms  a  close  skirt,  and  is  drawn  close  behind, 
and  fastened.  The  left-hand  corner  of  the  front  part  of  the 
sheet  is  taken  to  the  right  shoulder,  and  fastened ;  and  the 
right-hand  corner  of  the  sheet  is  brought  to  the  waist,  and 
fastened  there.  Beautiful  folds  will  result,  which  can  be 
much  improved  by  stroking  them  down  with  the  hand.  A 
large  knot  is  then  tied  in  the  corner  of  another  sheet,  which 
is  pinned  on  the  right  shoulder ;  and  the  sheet  is  then  drawn 
around  the  knees,  and  fastened  to  the  waist  behind,  thus 
surrounding  the  figure,  and  forming  long,  graceful,  straight 
folds,  like  those  on  the  ancient  Greek  statues.  A  little  study 
of  drapery,  and  careful  attempts  to  imitate  that  of  statues,  will 
soon  enable  persons  of  taste  to  arrange  beautiful  groups,  as, 
when  the  figures  take  their  positions,  the  drapery  assumes 
new  and  graceful  folds  of  itself ;  which  is  another  reason  why 
the  same  persons  can  so  successfully  fill  so  many  varied 
roles. 

"  Statuary  is  very  effective  in  all  performances  as  a  grand 
contrast  to  the  glittering  scenes  which  it  should  follow ;  and 
it  is  also  useful  in  connection  with  other  pieces,  as  it  may  be 
used  for  the  ornaments  in  court-scenes,  as  well  as  in  the 


98  HINTS  FOR  PARLOR  PLAYS. 

studios,  and  may  be  utilized  for  the  adjuncts  to  thrones,  as 
well  as  for  objects  of  interest  in  the  garden-scenes.  Abun- 
dance of  good  subjects  may  be  found  in  any  book  of  plates 
of  statuary :  so  it  will  be  only  needful  to  give  a  few  examples 
here  of  various  styles,  prefaced  by  some  general  directions." 

The  Pedestal.  —  Two  tables  four  feet  long  stanc  in  centre 
of  the  stage,  with  another  table  of  the  same  size  placed  upon 
them  in  the  centre  :  a  box  two  feet  and  a  half  long  stands  on 
top  of  this  table,  and  another  box  stands  on  the  floor,  in  front 
and  in  the  centre  of  the  two  tables  which  stand  together. 
The  pedestals  thus  formed,  draped  with  cotton  sheets,  serve 
for  all  groups. 

Light  and  Background.  —  The  best  light  is  a  very  light 
blue ;  and  a  beautiful  effect  may  be  produced  with  common 
gaslight  by  showing  them  on  a  dark  stage,  and  slowly  turn- 
ing up  the  light.  They  must  always  be  shown  against  a 
background  of  black  curtain  or  of  any  plain  cloth.  A  plain 
black  shawl  serves  very  well,  if  prepared  in  a  parlor,  as  is 
often  the  case.  Well  carried  out,  there  is  no  more  charming 
study,  or  attractive  performance,  than  that  of  living  statuary. 

Properties.  —  The  smaller  properties  may  be  cut  from 
pasteboard  or  thin  wood,  and  covered  with  white  cloth  or 
paper :  those  used  in  the  above  scene  are  as  follows,  — 

Rake,  hat,  chain  (made  of  loops  of  canton  flannel),  scales 
and  olive-branch  (cut  from  white  pasteboard) ;  cross,  eight 
feet  high,  five  inches  wide ;  crossbar,  two  feet  and  a  half 
long ;  tablet,  a  board  two  feet  and  a  half  long,  one  foot  wide, 
covered  with  white  cloth ;  pencil ;  basket  of  flowers ;  three 
tables  and  two  boxes  draped  with  cotton  sheets.  Old  sheets 
free  from  starch  and  ironing-folds  are  best  for  statuary. 


THE  ANGEL  OF  SLEEP. 


99 


MONUMENTAL    GROUP. 


The  man  stands  in  the  top  box  (marked  3  in  the  illustra- 
tion), in  an  attitude  of  making  an  address  ;  his  right  hand 


BLACK  CURTAIN 


13  4 


1  c 


TABLE. 


?^ 


3   5 


TABLE. 


e 

BOX. 


Fig.  37. 

extended,  his  left  held  in  a  curve,  over  which  drapery  is 
hung  loosely.  On  the  table  at  the  left  (2)  a  female  figure 
sits,  representing  history,  writing  on  a  flat  table  at  his  right. 
In  the  lower  table  (i)  a  tall  figure  stands  at  a  high  cross, 
with  her  left  arm  behind  it,  and  her  right  hand  on  the  cross- 
bar. At  the  other  end  of  the  long  table  (5)  the  shorter  of 
the  ladies  is  scattering  flowers  from  a  basket  which  she  holds 
in  her  left  hand.  On  the  lower  box  in  front  (6)  a  lady  bends 
over  a  child,  who  nestles  against  her  side. 


THE   ANGEL   OF   SLEEP. 


The  tall  statue  lady  stands  on  the  high  box,  which  is 
pushed  backward  to  allow  a  second  lady  to  sit  at  the  left  end 
of  it,  on  the  upper  table,  holding  the  child  in  her  arm,  as  if 


lOO  HINTS  FOR  PARLOR  PLAYS. 

asleep.  The  angel  at  the  top  is  provided  with  wings,  made 
by  sewing  the  sheet  to  her  extended  arms,  which  are  curved, 
the  right  held  higher  than  the  left. 

NYDIA. 

The  blind  girl  of  Pompeii  leans  forward,  grasping  her  staff 
with  the  left  hand,  while  the  right  is  held  near  the  ear,  in  a 
listening  attitude.  This  may  be  copied  from  Rogers's  cele- 
brated statue. 

THE   CHRISTIAN   GRACES. 

The  taller  lady  stands  on  the  high  box  in  the  centre ;  an 
other  leans  her  head  upon  her  side,  standing  on  the  table  at 
her  right ;  while  the  shorter  one  kneels  on  the  left  side,  the 
left  hand  of  the  centre  figure  resting  on  her  left  shoulder. 
This  group  has  the  appearance  of  being  cut  from  one  block, 
as  the  ladies  stand  very  close  together. 

CARACTACUS. 

The  man  statue  stands  with  extended  hands,  which  are 
fastened  together  with  a  long  chain  ;  and  he  afterward  may 
be  shown  in  a  kneeling  position.  In  the  first  position  he 
has  a  very  proud  expression  ;  and  in  the  second  he  must  look 
humble  and  depressed,  with  bowed  head. 


JUSTICE,    MERCY,    AND    PEACE. 

The  tall  lady  stands  on  the  high  box,  holding  in  her  left 
hand  a  pair  of  scales,  and  leaning  with  her  right  hand  on  a 
sword.  Mercy  lies  at  her  feet,  and  with  an  olive-branch  in 
her  right  hand  extended.  Peace  stands  at  the  left,  on  the 
lower  table. 


MAUD   MULLER.  \Q\ 


MAUD    MULLER. 

The  shorter  lady  stands  alone,  leaning  on  a  tall  rake  with 
both  hands,  looking  modestly  down,  and  wearing  a  broad 
sun-hat  covered  with  white  cloth.  The  rake  is  a  common 
garden-rake,  also  covered  with  white  cloth.  A  short  kilted 
skirt  of  white  cotton,  reaching  to  the  ankles,  will  modernize 
the  suit  from  the  antique  drapery  described  above,  over 
which  it  may  be  worn. 

These  examples  will  doubtless  suggest  numberless  single, 
double,  and  larger  groups,  which  may  be  copied  from  the  art 
journals  and  photographs. 


I02  BALLADS  IN  ACTION. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

BALLADS  IN  ACTION. 

Illustrated  ballads  sound  difficult,  but  are  really  one  of 
the  easiest  forms  of  amusement  for  a  winter  evening,  as  very 
little  rehearsing  or  scenery  is  needed.  Children  of  any  age 
above  seven  can  be  trained  to  perform  them,  but  they  are 
most  successful  when  the  actors  are  old  enough  to  catch  the 
spirit  of  the  verse.  A  good  ear  for  time  is  also  necessary, 
as  the  pantomime  must  give  the  appropriate  action  in  exact 
time  with  the  melody,  which  is  to  be  sung  very  distinctly  by 
some  one  with  a  clear,  full  voice,  hidden  from  the  audience, 
or  in  full  view,  as  may  be  preferred.  Two  or  three  are  given 
here  which  have  already  been  tried,  and  always  with  ap- 
plause. 

auld  robin  gray. 

ARRANGED  BY  GEORGE  B.  BARTLETT. 

CHARACTERS. 

Auld  Robin  Gray.  —  Gray  suit,  knee-breeches,  long  vest,  plaid,  white  wig,  or  powdered 

hair. 
Jamie.  —  Kilt,  plaid,  pea-jacket,  sailor-hat, 

]EA^SiE.—P/aid  skirt  tucked  up  over  white,  white  waist,  black  bodice,  plaid  scarf . 
Mother.  —  Black  or  brown  dress,  white  kerchief,  white  apron. 
Father.  —  Gray  or  brown  suit,  wrapped  in  plaid,  left  arm  in  sling. 
Properties.  —  I  St  Scene.    Silver  dollar  for  Jamie,    2d  Scene.     Two  chairs,  R.;  small 

chair,  C,  at  small  spinning-wheel.    3d  Scene.    Box  for  door-stone,  C.    4th  Scene. 

Great  chair,  with  pillows,  guilt,  etc.,  for  Robin,  C;  small  table,  cup,  medicine. 

SCENE  I.  — Jamie,  R.,  atid  Jeannie,  L.,  discovered  in  cittitude  of  parting  lovers,  C. 

Young  Jamie  lOved  me  well,  and  sought  me  for        Jamie  kneels  on  left  knee. 

his  bride. 
But,  saving  a  crown,  he  hath  nothing  else  beside.        Jamie  shows  silver-piece;  both  sadly  shake 

their  heads. 


AULD  ROBIN  GRAY. 


103 


To  make  the  crown  a  pound,  my  Jamie  ga'ed 

to  sea. 
And  the  crown  and  the  pound  were  a'  baith  for 

me. 


Jamie  points  off,  L.,  and  exit,  L.,  at  the 

word  "  sea." 
Jeannie  follows    him    three   stepi,   parts, 
comes  forward  sadly  with  clasped  hands. 
{Curtain  falls. 


SCENE  II.  — Father  and  Mother  in  chairs^  L.;  Jeannie,  C,  at  wheel,  hands  clasped  in 

lap. 


He  had  na'  been  gone  a  year  and  a  day 

When  my  father  brake  his  arm,  and  our  cow 

was  stole  away. 
My  mother  she  fell  sick,  my  Jamie  at  the  sea; 
And  Auld  Robin  Gray  came  a  courtin'  to  me. 


My  father  could  not  work,  my  mother  could 

not  spin, 
I  toiled  day  and  night;  but  their  bread  I  could 

not  win. 
Auld  Rob  maintained    them  baith,  and  with 

tears  in  his  e'e. 
Said, "  Jeannie,  for  their  sakes,  oh,  pray,  marry 

me!  " 
My  father  urged  me  sair;  my  mother  did  na' 

speak. 

But  she  looked  in  my  face  till  my  heart  was 

like  to  break : 
So  they  gied  him  my  hand,  though  my  heart 

was  on  the  sea, 
And  Auld  Robin  Gray  was  a  gude  man  to  me. 


Jeannie     in    attitude    of  despair,    hands 

clasped. 
Looks  sadly  at  her  father. 

Turns  towards  her  mother. 

Robin  Gray  enters,  L.  or  C,  kneels  to 
Jeannie,  and  takes  her  right  hand;'  she 
turns  away  in  disgust,  and  looks  down. 

Robin  Gray  points  to  each  ;  Jeannie  sadly 
watches  his  motions. 

Jeannie  spins  at  wheel,  C. 

Rodin  kneels,  and  implores  with  tears. 
Jeannie  turns  away  as  he  takes  her  hand. 

Jeannie  is  led  by  Robin  across  to  her  par- 
ents, and  kneels  with  her  hands  across 
her  Mother's  lap. 

Mother  regards  Jeannie  earnestly  as  she 
kneels  before  her,  R. 

Robin  crosses  from  C.  to  R.,  takes  Jeannie's 
hand  from  Mother. 

Robin  leads  Jeannie  to  C.,  and  draws  he?^ 
hand  through  his  arm,  looking  fondly 
at  Jeannie,  who  looks  sadly  down. 

[  Curtain  falls. 


SCENE  III.  — Jeannie  discovered  sitting  at  door,  very  sad, 

I  had  na'  been  his  wife  but  weeks  only  four, 
When,  sitting  so  mournfully  at  my  own  door, 
1  saw  my  Jamie's  ghost;  for  I  could  not  think 

it  he. 
Till  he  said,  "  I've  come  home,  love,  to  marry 

thee." 
Oh !  sair  did  we  greet,  and  mickle  did  we  say; 


She  slo^vly  lifts  her  head  from,  her  hand. 
Jamie  enters,  L. ;  Jeannie,  in  fright,  motions 

him  away. 
They  rush  into  each  other's  arms. 


We  took  na'  kiss  at  all,  I  bid  him  gang  away ; 

For  1  will  do  my  best  a  good  wife  for  to  be, 
For  Auld  Robin  Gray  is  very  kind  to  me. 


They  bow  their  heads,  then  lift  their  heads, 

as  if  conversing. 
Jeannie  pushing  him  away,  exit  Jamie 

sadly,  L. 
Jeannie  comes  forward,  extends  her  hands. 
Sinks  back  into  her  seat,  bozved  with  sorrow. 
[Curtain  falls. 


I04 


BALLADS  IN  ACTION. 


SCENE  IV.  —  Robin  at  C,  in  arm-chair,  propped  up  by  cushions  or  pillows. 

The  nights  were  long  and  sad,  the  days  were  Jeannie  bends  over  hint,  R. 

dull  and  wae; 

But  that  which  grieved  the   most  was  Auld  }^k\^^\b.  smooths  his  hair  from  his  forehead. 

Robin  Gray. 

He  sickened  day  by  day,  and  nothing  would  he  Jeannie /aw^j  cup  from  table,  R.,  which  he 

take,  refuses. 

But  said,  "  Though  I  am  like  to  die,  'tis  better  Jeannie  kneels  for  the  old  man's  blessing: 

for  her  sake. 

Is  Jamie  come?"  he  said;  and  Jamie  by  us  J  amik  enters,!,. 

stood. 

"  I've  wronged  you  sair,"  he  said,  "  now  let  me  RoBln  gras/s  Jamie's  hands. 

do  some  good. 

I  give  you  all,  young  man,  —  my  houses  and  my  Jamie  kneels,  L.,  and  Robin  points  off,  L. 

kine, 

And  the  good  wife  herself,  who  should  not  have  Jeannie  kneels ;  he  joins  their  hands  ;  they 

been  mine."  bow  their  heads  for  his  blessing. 

We  kissed  his  clay-cold  hands,  a  smile  came  They  rise,  lift  his  hands  to  their  lips,  and 

o'er  his  face.  then  suffer  them,  to  drop  heavily. 

Said  Jamie, "  He  is  pardoned  before  the  throne  Jamie  points  up,  L.,  one  hand  on  arm  of 

of  grace.  chair. 

O  Jeannie,  see  that  smile !  forgiven  I'm  sure  is  Jamie  turns  to  Jeannie. 

he. 

Who  could  resist  temptation  while  hoping  to  "RoBia  falls  back  in  death. 

win  thee  ?  "  Jeannie  kneels,  R. ;  Jamie  points  up,  L. 

[Curtain  falls. 

THE    MISTLETOE-BOUGH. 

ARRANGED  BY  GEORGE  B.  BARTLETT. 


CHARACTERS. 

The  Bride.  —  White  dress  and  veil,  wreath,  also  a  faded  wreath. 

LovELL.  —  Knee-breeches  of  white  paper-cambric,  coat  faced  with  same,  ruffled  shirt,  white 
cravat,  white  wig  and  beard  for  last  scenes. 

FouR^GENTLEMEN^r  Boys,  \  ''''"'  ^'  ^^^^^'  excepting  bright-colored  breeches  and  facings. 

Four  Ladies  or  Girls.  —  Silk  train-dresses,  powdered  hair. 

The  Baroness.  —  Black  dress  in  same  style. 

Six  Little  Children  in  ordinary  dress. 

Properties. —  One  table,  one  chair,  two  boxes.  Front,  side,  and  lid  of  chest  four  feet  and 
a  half  long,  two  feet  and  a  half  high.  The  lid  is  hinged,  as  usual,  to  the  back  ;  the  four 
sides  of  the  chest  are  not  nailed  together,  but  merely  held  together  by  hooks  and  eyes  at 
each  corner  inside.  The  sides  must  be  unhooked  for  the  last  scene  to  allow  the  chest  to 
fall  to  pieces. 

At  rise  of  curtain  the  bride  and  Lovell  stand  in  centre 
of  stage,  at  back  ;  the  baron  and  baroness,  at  the  left  hand  of 
Lovell.     The  others  stand  in  two  lines  at  side,  gentlemen 


THE  MISTLETOE-BOUGH. 


105 


at  right  hand  of  partners.  They  dance  as  follows  :  head 
couple  forward  and  back ;  sides  forward  and  back  twice,  and 
bow;  grand  right  and  left.  The  pianist  must  play  the 
melody ;  and,  as  the  bride  and  Lovell  meet  at  head  of  the 
stage,  the  singer  must  twice  sing  the  chorus,  "  Oh  the  Mis- 
tletoe-Bough !  "  At  the  word  "bough,"  the  couples  join 
right  hands,  and  bow  first  to  partner,  then  to  opposites,  in 
exact  time  with  music.  The  song  then  begins,  the  same 
dance  comin^:  in  as  marked. 


The  mistletoe  hung  in  the  castle-hall. 

The  holly  branch  shone  on  the  old  oak  wall, 

And  the  baron's  retainers  were  blithe  and  gay, 
And  keeping  their  Christmas  holiday. 


Lovell  leads  his  "^tvtwm  forward,  and  points 

up. 
They  go  backward  to  place,  he  points  to  sides 

of  stage. 


Sides  forward  and  back,  bow,  and  begin  the 
dance,  which  goes  on  as  above. 


The  baron  beheld  with  a  father's  pride 
His  beautiful  child,  young  Lovell's  bride; 
While  she  with  her  bright  eyes  seemed  to  be 
The  star  of  the  goodly  company. 


CHORUS. 

Oh  the  mistletoe-bough ! 
Oh  the  mistletoe-bough ! 


(^Dance.) 


Lovell  leads  Bride  to  Baron,  who  salutes 
her;  he  then  leads  her  to  centre  of  stage, 
and  puts  a  ring  upon  her  finger. 

They  look  tenderly  at  each  other,  and  re- 
main in  centre,  hand  in  hand,  until 
chorus,  when  they  bow,  first  to  each 
other,  then  to  sides. 

All  bow  as  before. 


(Dance.) 


"  I'm  weary  of  dancing  now,"  she  cried : 
"  Here  tarry  a  moment,  I'll  hide,  I'll  hide! 
And,  Lovell,  be  sure  thou'rt  the  first  to  trace 

The  clew  to  my  secret  lurking-place." 
Away  she  ran,  and  her  friends  began 
Each  tower  to  search,  and  each  nook  to  scan; 
And  young  Lovell  cried,  "  Oh !  where  dost  thou 

hide? 
I'm   lonesome   without    thee,    my   own    dear 

bride," 

Oh  the  mistletoe-bough ! 


Bride  comes  forward,  stretches  out  her 
hands  wearily,  places  left  hand  on  Lov- 
ell's shoulder,  who  also  comes  forward; 
she  points  over  her  shoulder,  and  runs 
off,  R.     Dancers  cross,  and  go  out. 

Lovell  expresses  despair.  Baroness  comei 
forward,  places  her  right  hand  on  his 
shoulder.  They  salute  each  other,  then 
bow  to  audience  at  chorus. 

[Curtain  falls. 


SCENE  II.  — Chest,  C;  table  tipped  over,  R.:  chair  on  floor,  L.  The  melody  is  played. 
Bride  enters  hastily  ;  first  hides  behind  the  table,  then  decides  to  enter  chest,  draws  up 
chair,  and  steps  in.  The  chorus  is  then  sung,  and  the  Bride  lets  the  lid  fall  heavily 
at  last  note. 


io6 


BALLADS  IN  ACriON. 


They  sought  that  night,  and  they  sought  her        The  dancers  enter  slowly,  pause  a  moment^ 
next  day,  then  cross,  and  exit. 

And  they  sought  her  in  vain  when  a  week 
passed  away. 

In  the  highest,  the  lowest,  the  loneliest  spot 

Young  Lovell  sought  wildly,  but  found  her  not.  \Curtain  /alls. 

SCENE  III.  —  Children  are  playing  Thread-the-Needle,  in  time  to  the  melody;  they  stop 
suddefily,  two  of  them  point  to  right  of  stage. 


And  years  flew  by,  and  their  grief  at  last 


Lovell  appears,  R.,  dressed  as  an  old  man, 
and  crosses  the  stage  slowly. 


Was  told  as  a  sorrowful  tale  long  past; 
And,  when  Lovell  appeared,  the  children  cried, 
"  See!  the  old  man  weeps  for  his  fairy  bride." 
Oh  the  mistletoe-bough ! 


He  bows  his  head,  and  weeps,  then  salutes 
the  Children,  who  bo7v  to  him,  and  then 
to  audience. 

[Curtain  falls. 


SCENE  IV.  —  Sajne  as  Scene  III.,  except  that  the  chest  is  unhooked  at  corners,  and  the 
faded  wreath  inside. 


At  length  an  oak  chest  that  had  long  lain  hid 
Was  found  in  the  castle ;  they  raised  the  lid. 
And  a  skeleton  form  lay  mouldering  there 
In  the  bridal  wreath  of  the  lady  fair. 
Oh,  sad  was  her  fate !  in  sportive  jest 
She  hid  from  her  lord  in  the  old  oak  chest; 
It  closed  with  a  spring,  and  her  bridal  bloom 
Lay  withering  there  in  a  living  tomb. 
Oh  the  mistletoe-bough ! 


Old  man  slowly  enters,  and  attempts  to 
raise  the  lid;  pushes  the  right  corner, 
and  chest  falls.  He  holds  up  the  wreath 
with  trembling  fingers.  Gazes  with 
horror  on  the  chest.  Turns  to  audi' 
ence,  ajid points  towards  it.  He  kneels, 
and  at  last  note  of  chorus  falls  on  ruins 
of  the  chest. 

[Curtain  fallsr 


VILLIKINS   AND    HIS    DINIAH. 


An  Illustrated  Ballad,  to 


performed  by   Children  from   Eight  to    Twelve 
Years   Old. 


CHARACTERS. 

Parent.  —  Top-hoots,  knee-breeches,  swallow-tail  coat,  ruffled  shirt,  white  cravat,  ponxy- 

dered  hair. 
ViLLiKiNS.  —  White  pantaloons,  swallow-tailed  coat,  ritffled  shirt,  fancy  tie,  curled  hair. 
DiNiAH.  —  Train-dress,  bright  overskirt,  hat,  large  waterfall,  Grecian  bend. 
Properties.  —  Two  sheets,  letter,  bottle,  carpet-bag,  money. 

Note.  —  Swallow-tail  coats  are  easily  made  by  sewing  tails  on  to  the  boys'  jackets;  the  ruffles 
are  made  of  paper.  The  girl  can  wear  a  long  dress  tucked  up  over  her  own.  The  sheets  are 
placed  over  the  heads,  leaving  only  the  face  exposed.  They  hold  the  sheet  under  their  chins  n  ith 
left  hands,  and  point  with  the  right.  Where  a  trap-door  is  available,  they  fall  into  and  rise  up  Ircu 
k. 


{A  concealed  singer  begins  song  as  curtain  rises.) 


VILLI  KINS  AND,  HIS  D  INI  AH. 


TO7 


I. 
There  was  a  rich  merchant  in   London  did 

dwell. 
Who  had  for  a  daughter  a  very  fine  girl; 
Her  name  it  was  Diniah,  just  sixteen  years  old, 
With  a  very  large  fortune  in  silver  and  gold, 

CHORUS. 

Sing  tural  li  lural  li  lural  li  la. 
Sing  lural  li  lural  li  lural  li  la. 
Sing  tural  li  lural  li  lural  li  la. 
Sing  tural  li  lural  li  lural  li  la. 

II. 
As  Diniah  was  walking  the  garden  one  day, 

Her  father  came  to  her,  and  thus  did  he  say, 

"  Go  dress  yourself,  Diniah,  in  gorgeous  array. 

And  I'll  bring  you  a  husband  both  gallant  and 

gay." 

CHORUS 
HI. 

"O  papa,  dear  papa!   I've  not  made  up  my 

mind : 
To  marry  just  yet  I  do  not  feel  inclined; 

And  all  my  large  fortune  I'll  gladly  give  o'er 

If  you'll  let  me  be  single  a  year  or  two  more." 

CHORUS. 
IV. 

"  Go,  go,  boldest  daughter !  "  the  parent  replied. 

"  If  you  do  not  consent  to  be  this  young  man's 

bride, 
I'll  give  your  large  fortune  to  the  nearest  of  kin. 

And  you  sh'an't  reap  the  benefit  of  one  single 
pin." 


Parent  bows  low  to  audience, 

'Pakeut  pomts  with  left  hand. 
Parent  spreads  both  hands  in  ecstasy. 
Parent  rattles  money  in  his  pockets. 

Parent  dances,  in  time  to  music,  forward. 
Parent  dances,  in  time  to  music,  backward. 
Parent  dances,  in  time  to  music,  forward. 
Parent  dances,  in  time  to  music,  backward, 

ajid  bows  at  last  note, 
Diniah  enters,  and  courtesies  to  Parent, 

who  bows  in  time. 
Parent  approaches  her,  and  moves  head 

and  hand  as  if  speaking. 
Parent  points  to  Diniah's  dress,  ^uho  takes 

it  in  her  hands,  and  looks  upon  it, 
Diniah  puts  finger  in  her  mouth,  and  turns 

head  away. 
Both  dance  forward  and  backward  together 

at  each  line,  and  bow  at  end. 
Diniah  p2its  right  hand  on  Parent's  left 

shoulder. 
Diniah  places  left  hand  coaxiti'gly  under  his 

chin. 
Diniah  tttrns  to  left,  moves  both  hatids  as  if 

throwing  away  her  money. 
Diniah  looks  at  him  imploringly,  and  coaxes 

him  as  before. 
Both  dattce  forward  and  backward,  and 

bow  in  time,  as  before. 
Parent   shakes   his    head  and  fist   very 

savagely. 
Diniah  kneels  down,  and  cries. 

Parent  makes  motions  as  tf  throwing  away 

money;  takes  large  pinfrotn  his  coat. 
Diniah  wrings  her  hands,  and  weeps. 


Sung  and  danced  as  before. 


[Curtain  falls. 


As  Villikins  was  walking  the  garden  around, 
He   spied  his  dear  Diniah  lying  dead  on  the 

ground. 
With  a  cup  of  cold  pison  lying  down  by  her 

side. 
And  a  billet-doux,  saying  by  pison  she  died. 
CHORUS. 


Villikins  enters,  discovers  Diniah  lying, 
C,  with  bottle  and  letter;  he  jumps, 
throws  up  his  hands  in  horror. 

Villikins  picks  up  bottle,  and  smells  it. 

Reads  letter  in  amazement. 
Villikins  dances  forward  and  backward.. 
looking  first  at  letter  in  his  left  hand, 


io8 


BALLADS  IN  ACTION. 


He  kissed  her  cold  corpus  a  hundred  times  o'er. 

And  called  her  his  Diniah,  though  she  was  no 

more ; 
Then  he  swallowed  the  pison  like  a  lover  so 

brave, 
And  Villikins  and  his  Diniah  both  lay  iri  one 

grave. 

CHORUS. 
VII. 

At  twelve  next  night,  by  a  tall  poplar-tree 
The  ghosts  of  his  children  the  parent  did  see. 

Standing  close  to  each  other,  and  both  looking 
blue, 

Saying,  "  We  should  be  both  living  if  it  was 
not  for  you." 

CHORUS. 

vni. 
Now  the  parent  was  struck  with  a  horror  of 

home: 
So  he  packed  his  portmanteau,  the  world  over 

to  roam. 
But  he  had  not  gone  far,  when  he  was  seized 

with  a  shiver 
Which  ended  his  days,  so  finished  him  forever. 

CHORUS. 


then  at  bottle  in  his  right,  extending 
each  hand  in  turn,  bows  at  last  note. 

Villikins  kneels  down  behind  Diniah,  bends 
over  her,  and  pretends  to  kiss  her. 

Wrings  her  hands. 

Drinks  from  bottle. 

Falls  behind  Diniah  at  last  note. 


No  dance. 


[Curtain  falls. 


Parent  enters,  discovers  the  lovers  stand- 
ing at  back  of  stage,  dressed  in  sheets, 
like  ghosts.  He  jumps,  looks  first  over 
his  left  shoulder  at  them,  then  over  his 
right  shoulder,  and  contitiues  this  mo- 
tion through  rest  of  verse  and  chorus. 

Ghosts  dance  forward  and  back,  as  before, 
following  Parent.    A II  bow. 


Parent  goes  off,  L.,for  his  carpet-bag. 
He  packs  his  clothes. 

Suddenly  turns  his  head,  sees  ghosts,  and 
shivers  faster  and  faster  until  he  drops, 
C. 

Ghosts  dance  around  Parent,  Diniah  first. 
Both  bow.  [Curtain  falls. 


As  will  be  easily  seen,  there  is  no  limit  in  the  choice  of 
illustrated  ballads.  One  which  has  never  been  used,  and 
which  Cruikshank  illustrated  many  years  ago,  is  the  ballad 
of  Earl  Bateman. 

"  Earl  Bateman  was  a  noble  lord ; 
A  noble  lord  he  was,  of  high  degree; 
And  he  determined  to  go  abroad,  — 
To  go  abroad  strange  countries  for  to  see." 

The  illustrations  will  furnish  the  necessary  hints  for  cos- 
tumes, and  the  ballad  may  better  be  sung  than  said,  as  the 
air  is  in  the  minors,  —  a  quaint  and  rather  pathetic  tune, 
which  any  one  who   has  seen  "  Rosedale  '*  played  will   at 


LORD    ULLIN'S  DAUGHTER.  lOQ 

once  recall.  Where  an  entire  poem  cannot  be  used,  pictur- 
esque passages  can  often  be  taken  ;  and  there  is  hardly  any 
form  of  parlor  entertainment  that  gives  a  better  result  for 
the  amount  of  trouble  expended. 

LORD    ULLIN's   daughter. 

A  burlesque  performance  of  Campbell's  ballad  is  very 
simple  to  prepare,  and  very  effective  for  children  to  act. 

The  descriptive  part  of  the  poem  must  be  read  aloud 
slowly  and  distinctly ;  but  each  actor  speaks  his  own  part. 
It  is  much  easier  for  children  to  act  when  they  have  some- 
thing to  say  than  to  accompany  the  reading  entirely  in  dumb 
show. 

The  necessary  properties  are  a  large  sheet  and  a  common 
wash-tub.  The  tub  is  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  cotton 
lake  as  a  boat.  Four  people  shake  the  sheet  at  the  corners 
to  make  waves. 

CHARACTERS. 

Lord  Ulun.  —  Short  plaid  skirt,  or  shawl  pinned  around  his  waist  as  skirt.  Plaid  shawl 
fastened  in  Highland  fashion  on  the  shoulder.  Tin  pail  on  his  head  as  helmet.  Old- 
fashioned  carpet-bag  in  one  hand.  Big  silk  or  red-cotton  handkerchief  in  pocket.  He 
rides  in  on  a  broomstick,  followed  by  one,  two,  or  more  armed  men,  who  are  dressed  in 
the  same  way,  and  carry  toy-guns,  bows,  or  sticks  for  arms.  If  there  are  no  boys  in  the 
company,  these  parts  can  easily  be  taken  by  girls.  It  is  quite  effective  to  have  Lord 
Ullin  very  tall,  and  the  armed  men  tiny  children. 

Chieftain.  — Dressed  in  the  same  fashion,  but  wearing  plaid  of  a  different  color,  to  show 
that  he  belongs  to  another  clan.  His  stockings  must  be  long  and  bright-colored.  In- 
stead of  a  helmet,  he  wears  a  cap  or  soft  hat  with  a  long  feather  He  carries  a  toy-gun 
or  bow  in  one  hand,  while  with  the  other  he  supports  his  bride.  A  girl  can  of  course 
take  this  part. 

Lord  Ulun's  Daughter.  —  White  dress  and  bridal  veil,  with  plaid  sash.  Her  chieftain 
may  carry  a  plaid  for  her  on  his  arm.     Veil  can  be  made  of  mosquito-netting. 

BOATMAii— Big  rubber  coat,  rubber  hat  or  old  felt  hat,  rubber  boots  Stick,  oar,  or  cro- 
quet-mallet, for  paddle.    A  small  child  can  take  this  part  effectively. 


The  scene  opens  with  the  boatman  sitting  on  the  edge  of  the  tub,  with  pipe  in  mouth.  He  looks 
up  at  the  sky,  shakes  his  head  ominously,  and  whistles,  holding  pipe  in  hand.  He  may  be  alone  oa 
dM  stage  for  a  minute  or  two  before  the  reader  begins. 


no  BALLADS  IN  ACTION. 

RE^ADER.     (^Chieftain  and  bride  rush  in  from  back  of  stage,  looking  back  in  a  frif^ 

ened  manner.') 

A  chieftain,  to  the  Highlands  bound, 

Cries,  "  Boatman,  do  not  tarry ! 
And  I'll  give  thee  a  silver  pound 

To  row  us  o'er  the  ferry." 

BOATMAN  (^without  rising,  staring  at  them,  points  to  the  lake,  which  must  be  waved 
harder  and  harder). 

"  Now  who  be  ye  would  cross  Lochgyle, 
This  dark  and  stormy  water  ? " 

CHIEFTAIN  i^with  a  gesture  and  loving  look  to  his  bride.    She  clings  closer  to  him,  looks 
back  frightened,  and  at  the  end  of  his  speech  falls  half  fainting  into  his  arms). 

«  Oh !  Pm  the  chief  of  Ulva's  isle, 

And  this  Lord  Ullin's  daughter. 
And  fast  before  her  father's  men, 

Three  days  we've  fled  together; 
For  should  he  find  us  in  the  glen, 

My  blood  would  stain  the  heather. 
His  horsemen  hard  behind  us  ride : 

Should  they  our  steps  discover, 
Then  who  will  cheer  my  bonny  bride 

When  they  have  slain  her  lover  ? 

READER. 

Out  spoke  the  hardy  Highland  wight: 

BOATMAN  {rises,  brings  board  or  small  step-ladder  from  the  side  of  stage,  places  it  against 
edge  of  tub,  and  assists  lady  into  tub.  He  points  to  the  waves,  and  starts  to  bring  the 
steps  just  at  the  end  of  his  speeech.  A  pause  is  nearly  always  effective.  The  chieftain 
follows  his  bride  into  the  tub,  and  sits  close  to  his  bride.  The  boatman  sits  on  the  edge, 
and  paddles). 

"  I'll  go,  my  chief  —  I'm  ready : 
It  is  not  for  your  silver  bright. 

But  for  your  winsome  lady :  {Bride  courtesies. 

And  by  my  word  the  bonny  bird 

In  danger  shall  not  tarry  ! 
So,  though  the  waves  be  raging  white, 
I'll  row  you  o'er  the  ferry." 

[The  chieftain  offers  a  silver  pound,  made  of  cardboard  and  silver  paper, 
and  marked  £i,  in  black  letters.  It  can  be  as  large  as  a  dinner-plate. 
The  boatman  refuses  it.  The  lady  takes  it,  and  presses  it  upon  tht 
tcatman,  who  receives  the  silver,  and  then  tosses  it  into  the  lakt. 


LORD   ULLIN'S  DAUGHTER,  III 

READER. 
By  this  the  storm  grew  loud  apace, 

The  water-wraith  was  shrieking ; 
And  in  the  scowl  of  heaven  each  face 

Grew  dark  as  they  were  speaking. 

{Xhnnder  can  be  made  by  rattling  coal  or  wood  outside.     The  armed  men  must  stamp. 
The  gas  can  be  turned  down.) 

But  Still,  as  wilder  blew  the  wind, 

And  as  the  night  grew  drearer, 
Adown  the  glen  rode  arm^d  men. 

Their  trampling  sounded  nearer. 

BRIDE  {looking  imploringly  at  the  boatman,  and  then  points  at  the  Ji^). 

"  Oh,  haste  thee,  haste  ! "  the  lady  cries : 

"  Though  tempests  round  us  gather ! 
I'll  meet  the  raging  of  the  skies, 

But  not  an  angry  father." 

READER. 

The  boat  has  left  a  stormy  land, 

A  stormy  sea  before  her. 
When,  oh  !  too  strong  for  human  hand, 

The  tempest  gathered  o'er  her. 

(Lord  Ulun  and  the  armed  men  ride  in.     Lord  Ullin  leaps  off  his  horse,  drops  his  carpet* 

bag,  pulls  out  his  handkerchief,  and  laments  loudly.) 

And  still  they  rowed  amidst  the  roar 

Of  waters  fast  prevaiHng : 
Lord  Ullin  reached  that  fatal  shore; 

His  wrath  was  changed  to  wailing. 

For  sore  dismayed,  through  storm  and  shade. 

His  child  he  did  discover : 
One  lovely  hand  she  stretched  for  aid. 

And  one  was  round  her  lover. 

LORD  ULLIN. 

**  Come  back,  come  back ! "  he  cried  in  grie^ 

"  Across  this  stormy  water, 
And  I'll  forgive  your  Highland  chief, 

My  daughter !  —  O  my  daughter  I " 


112  BALLADS  IN  A CTION. 


READER. 


*Twas  vain :  the  loud  waves  lashed  the  shore, 

Return  or  aid  preventing  : 
The  waters  wild  went  o'er  his  child^ 

And  he  was  left  lamenting. 

\As  the  last  lines  are  read,  the  four  comers  of  the  sheet  are  thrown  over 
the  tub  and  its  contents.  Lord  Ullin  is  left  loudly  lamenting  on  the 
shore. 


THE  MISS  PELICOES,  II3 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE   MISS   PELICOES. 

Twelve  girls  must  be  arranged  to  form  a  graduated  row 
or  semicircle,  with  either  curtains  or  screens  for  a  back- 
ground. Dresses  must  be  in  Kate  Greenaway  style,  and 
carefully  selected  as  to  contrasting  colors.  Some  can  wear 
bonnets,  large  or  small ;  others,  caps.  Some  must  have  curled 
or  wavy  hair ;  others  must  have  braids.  It  is  better  for  all 
to  wear  ties  or  slippers  with  large  bows  or  buckles.  They 
must  practise  making  the  short  drop-courtesy  in  concert,  as 
want  of  precision  in  this  greatly  weakens  the  effect. 

When  the  reciter  announces  "the  Miss  Pelicoes,*'  the 
tallest  one  enters,  stops  in  the  middle  of  the  stage,  makes  a 
courtesy,  and  walks  to  her  place  at  the  head  of  the  row. 
The  others  enter  in  quick  succession ;  each  making  the  cour- 
tesy at  the  same  spot,  and  going  to  her  place.  The  ballad 
proper  then  begins,  all  courtesying  in  concert  whenever  the 
twelve  "  Miss  Pelicoes  "  are  named. 

When  the  ballad  is  finished,  all  courtesy  in  the  middle  of 
the  stage,  as  they  did  upon  entering,  and  pass  out.  An 
e7icore  is  generally  desired. 

One  girl  commits  the  ballad  to  memory.  She  must  say  it 
without  any  stumbling,  repeating  the  lines  very  slowly  where 
there  is  much  action,  and  rapidly  where  there  is  little.  It  is 
important  that  her  utterance  be  clear,  distinct,  and  rather 
loud,  so  there  be  no  mistaking  the  sentiment  expressed,  both 


114 


THE  MISS  PELICOES. 


by  words  and  action.     Costume  according  to  taste,  but  not 
fancy.     Light  colors  preferable. 


THE    MISS    PELICOES. 
Enter  one  by  one,  courtesy  in  middle  of  stage,  and  pass  on  to  place. 


The  twelve  Miss  Pelicoes 

Were  twelve  sweet  little  girls: 

Some  wore  their  hair  in  pigtail  plaits; 

While  some  of  them  wore  curls. 


The  twelve  Miss  Pelicoes 
Had  dinner  every  day: 
A  not  uncommon  thing  at  all, 
You  probably  will  say. 

III. 
The  twelve  Miss  Pelicoes 
Went  sometimes  for  a  walk. 
It  also  was  a  well-known  fact 
That  all  of  them  could  talk. 


I. 

All  courtesy  exactly  together. 

Courtesy,  smiling  sweetly. 

Those  with  braids  turn  around  to  shoxv  their 

braids ; 
Those  with  curls,  ditto. 

II. 
All  courtesy  together. 

Raise  fingers  to  mouth,  as  if  having  some' 
thing  to  eat. 


AU  courtesy  together. 

Head  girl  walks  for^vard,  all  following,  but 
turning  so  as  to  be  in  places  before  last 
line,  when  all  say  together,  either"  Good- 
morning,"  "  Fine  day"  "  How  do  you 
do  ?  "  all  mixed  up,  but  rather  loud. 


The  twelve  Miss  Pelicoes 

Were  always  most  polite ; 

Said,  "  If  you  please,"  and  "  Many  thanks,' 

"  Good-morning,"  and  "  Good-night." 


All  courtesy  together. 

Bow  to  each  other,  shake  hands. 

After  "said,"  the  reciter  omits  "If  you 
please,"  and  "  Many  thanks,"  leaving 
this  to  be  said  by  the  four  largest  girls  ; 
"  If  you  please"  by  the  first  two;  "  Many 
thanks"  by  the  next  two  ;  "  Good-morn- 
ing')' by  the  next  two;  "  Good-evening*' 
by  the  next  two,  the  reciter  supplying 
the  "  and." 


The  twelve  Miss  Pelicoes 
Learned  dancing,  and  the  globes; 
Which  showed  that  they  were  wise,  and  had 
The  patience  which  was  Job's. 


Courtesy  all  together. 

Take  a  few  dancing-steps. 

Try  to  look  patient,  resigned  to  a  hard  fate. 


The  twelve  Miss  Pelicoes 
Played  music,  "  Fa,  la,  la;  " 
Which  consequently  made  them  all 
The  joy  of  their  papa. 


All  courtesy  together. 

Make  motion  with  hands  and  arms,  as  if 
playing  on  the  piano.  Let  them,  draw 
themselves  up,  turn  their  heads,  and 
smile  in  a  self-satisfied  manner. 


THE  MISS  PEL  ICO ES. 


15 


The  twelve  Miss  Peiicoes, 
You  plainly  see,  were  taught 
To  do  the  things  they  didn't  like; 
Which  means,  the  things  they  ought. 


vn. 

AH  courtesy  together. 


Now,  fare  you  well.  Miss  Peiicoes; 
I  wish  you  a  "  good-day." 
About  these  twelve  Miss  Peiicoes 
I've  nothing  more  U.  say. 


AU  courtesy  together. 
All  bow  to  reciter. 

AU  courtesy  together,  and,  after  last  line, 
pass  out  one  by  one,  each  making  courtesy. 


Il6  CHARADES  AND  PROVERBS  IN  ACTION. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

CHARADES  AND   PROVERBS  IN  ACTION. 

These  may  be  given  either  in  tableaux,  in  pantomime,  or 
the  performers  may  trust  to  the  inspiration  of  the  moment 
for  words,  and  fill  each  part  as  perfectly  as  possible.  Prov- 
erbs are  given  in  a  single  scene.  Charade  words  must  be 
divided  into  syllables,  each  one  represented  by  a  tableau  or 
scene,  and  the  whole  given  as  a  final  scene. 

PATCHWORK 

makes  three  pretty  scenes.     The  first  scene  is 

Patch. — Two  little  girls,  dressed  in  expensive  costumes, 
in  the  prevailing  style,  stand  as  if  just  meeting.  They  wear 
jaunty  hats  and  gloves,  and  carry  parasols.  Both  are  laugh- 
ing, and  pointing  to  a  third  little  girl,  who  stands  near  them, 
hiding  her  face,  as  if  ashamed.  Her  dress  is  poor,  —  calico 
sunbonnet,  coarse  boots ;  and  upon  a  dress  of  some  very 
light  material  is  a  large,  square  patch  of  dark  stuff. 

Work.  —  A  very  pretty  tableau  can  be  made  for  this  scene 
by  representing  several  trades,  each  at  a  small  bench  or 
table,  —  the  blacksmith  hammering  a  horseshoe,  the  dairy- 
maid making  butter,  the  cobbler  mending  a  shoe,  the  mil- 
liner trimming  a  bonnet,  the  carpenter  planing  a  board,  the 
cook  plucking  a  fowl.  In  short,  as  many  figures  as  the  size 
of  the  stage  will  admit,  all  busy  at  some  work.  The  cos- 
tumes can  be  picturesque. 

Patchwork.  —  The   scene,  a  farm-kitchen,  with    several 


DRAMATIC.  117 

figures.  Centre  of  background  is  the  mother  rocking  g 
baby;  over  the  cradle  is  a  patchwork  quilt.  The  grand- 
mother, right  of  foreground,  is  sewing  upon  a  piece  of  patch- 
work ;  and  at  her  feet  a  very  little  girl  is  putting  two  patches 
together,  with  a  very  big  needle,  very  long  stitches,  and  a 
face  puckered  up,  as  if  very  intent  upon  the  work. 

DRAMATIC 

is  a  good  word  for  tableau. 

Dram.  —  Scene,  a  poorly  furnished  room.  Centre  of 
scene,  a  man  poorly  dressed  stands  facing  audience.  In  one 
hand  he  holds  a  glass  with  a  little  liquor  in  it ;  in  the  other 
he  holds  an  empty  bottle  over  the  glass,  as  if  draining  the 
last  drop.  A  pale,  haggard  face,  and  eyes  very  eagerly 
fixed  upon  the  glass,  are  most  effective. 

Attic.  —  If  a  sloping  roof  can  be  managed,  and  an  attic 
window  in  the  background,  it  will  add  to  the  effect  of  the 
scene.  Centre  of  stage,  a  table,  with  candle  stuck  in  porter- 
bottle,  and  a  few  loose  sheets  of  manuscript  upon  it.  Facing 
audience,  a  young  man,  carelessly  dressed,  his  hair  very 
much  rumpled,  his  hand  clinched  in  the  hair;  is  a  poet. 
His  legs  are  stretched  each  side  of  the  table ;  and,  while 
he  ruffles  his  hair  with  his  left  hand,  with  his  right  he  is 
writing  furiously.     The  wilder  the  expression,  the  better. 

Dramatic.  —  The  scene  is  a  parlor,  where  a  party  for 
private  theatricals  have  just  assembled.  Every  variety  of 
costume  and  attitude  will  be  admitted,  according  to  the 
extent  of  the  manager's  wardrobe.  Mary  Queen  of  Scots 
may  be  tying  the  cravat  of  Lord  Dundreary ;  Cardinal 
Richelieu  saying  soft  nothings  to  a  pretty  waiting-maid  ; 
Romeo  can  dance  a  hornpipe  with  Othello ;  and  Juliet 
arrange  the  overskirt  of  Lady  Teazle. 


Il8  CHARADES  AND  PROVERBS  IN  ACTION, 


CHILDHOOD. 

Child.  —  Centre  of  background  a  haystack,  and  behind 
this  a  boy  and  girl  peeping  out.  Centre  of  foreground, 
facing  audience,  a  very  little  child  in  a  pretty  country  dress, 
looking  half  frightened,  as  if  missing  her  companions. 

Hood.  —  A  very  young  pretty  girl,  in  a  very  light,  tasteful 
ball-dress,  with  her  hair  most  elaborately  ornamented  with 
graceful  flowers,  looking  with  horror,  and  hands  outstretched 
to  push  it  away,  at  a  large  quilted,  old-fashioned  hood  held 
out  by  an  old  woman  in  a  picturesque  dress  and  cap. 

Childhood.  — A  nursery-scene,  with  several  children,  effec- 
tively grouped,  in  various  occupations  suited  to  childhood. 
Two  are  seated,  looking  at  a  picture-book  held  between  them  ; 
two  more  arrange  a  doll's  tea-table ;  two  more  dress  dolls  ; 
two  compare  tops  or  balls.  In  short,  the  scene  can  be 
arranged  in  any  pretty  grouping. 

The  boys  should  wear  gay  stockings  and  shirt-waists ;  the 
girls,  white,  with  broad  sashes  of  gay-colored  ribbon. 

PROVERBS   IN   TABLEAUX. 

Like  the  charades,  these  are  to  represent  in  scenes  some 
popular  proverbs,  one  scene  for  each,  and  must  be  guessed 
by  the  audience. 

A    STITCH    IN    TIME   SAVES    NINE. 

The  scene  is  a  boudoir,  with  two  young  ladies,  in  hand- 
some walking-dresses,  standing  centre  of  foreground.  Upon 
a  chair,  left  of  foreground,  is  a  handsome  dress,  with  a  long 
ragged  tear  conspicuous  upon  it.  A  strip  of  black  cambric 
with  torn  edges  basted  down  is  a  perfect  imitation  of  such 
a  tear. 

One  of  the  young  ladies  is  holding  up  the  overskirt  of  her 


CHARADE    WORDS.  II9 

dress,  and  sewing  a  very  tiny  rent ;  while  the  other  points  to 
the  torn  dress  on  the  chair,  as  if  quoting  the  proverb. 

HUNGER    IS   THE   BEST   SAUCE. 

Two  tables  are  standing  over  each  side  of  foreground.  At 
one  is  seated  a  dandy  in  the  most  elaborate  costume,  who 
holds  the  wing  of  a  tiny  bird  upon  a  fork,  and  looks  at  it 
with  an  expression  of  perfect  disgust.  Upon  the  table  are 
a  very  few  dainty  trifles  of  food,  choice  fruit,  a  bottle  of 
champagne,  and  several  kinds  of  sauce. 

At  the  other  table  a  man,  in  the  dress  of  a  farmer,  has 
a  huge  dish  of  pork  and  beans  before  him,  and  is  lifting  an 
enormous  mouthful  upon  his  knife  to  his  widely  opened 
mouth,  with  an  eager,  hungry  expression. 

Centre  of  background  is  a  colored  waiter,  with  a  napkin 
over  his  arm,  as  if  in  attendance  upon  the  others. 

The  few  specimens  given  will  show  clearly  how  the 
charades  and  proverbs  can  be  made  effective  and  amusing ; 
and  a  few  words  that  will  divide  well  for  charades,  and  some 
easily-posed  proverbs,  are  given  below  for  the  benefit  of 
the  stage-manager. 

CHARADE  WORDS. 

Band-age.  Crib-b-age. 

Book-worm.  Purse-proud. 

Hand-some  (sum).  Broom-stick. 

Peni-tent.  In-fan-cy  (sea). 

Watch-man.  Horn-pipe. 

Mad-cap.  Bride-cake. 

PROVERBS. 

Money  makes  the  mare  go. 
Fine  feathers  make  fine  birds. 


I20  CHARADES  AND  PROVERBS  IN  ACTION, 

It*s  an  ill  wind  that  blows  nobody  good. 
Take  care  of  the  pence,  and  the  pounds  will  take  care  of 
themselves. 

Too  many  cooks  spoil  the  broth. 

When  the  cat's  away,  the  mice  will  play. 

Charity  begins  at  home. 

Killing  two  birds  with  one  stone. 

Out  of  the  frying-pan  into  the  fire. 

The  more,  the  merrier ;  the  fewer,  the  better  fare. 

It  never  rains  but  it  pours. 

ACTING  CHARADES. 

A  room  with  folding-doors  is  of  course  best  for  a  stage ; 
but,  wanting  this,  an  iron  rod  suspended  across  the  end  of 
the  room,  on  which  a  pair  of  curtains  can  be  hung,  will 
answer  the  purpose.  Impromptu  charades  are  always  the 
funniest,  but  there  are  some  written  ones  given  for  those 
who  are  too  nervous  to  speak  their  own  words.  The  follow- 
ing list  of  words  would  be  good  ones  to  act ;  — 

RINGLET. 

Ring.  —  Might  turn  on  the  loss  of  this  ornament,  and 
the  suspicion  of  theft  against  one  of  the  servants,  who  is 
consequently  discharged. 

Let.  —  Might  be  a  house  to  let,  where  the  discharged  ser- 
vant has  found  a  situation.  The  old  master  and  mistress 
take  the  apartments,  and  on  unpacking  the  portmanteau  the 
long-lost  ring  is  found  at  the  bottom  of  it.  Of  course  due 
reparation  is  made  to  the  suspected  servant,  and  she  is  taken 
back  to  her  old  service  at  increased  wages.  Making  the  part 
of  the  servant  Irish  would  increase  the  fun,  if  an  actress 
could  be  found  to  speak  with  a  good  brogue. 

Ringlet.  —  If  the  plot  is   still   carried  on,  there  might 


PETTICOAT.  121 

be  a  party  at  the  same  people's  house.  The  daughter  is 
engaged  to  be  married ;  the  gentleman  is  seated  near  her  ; 
she  suddenly  becomes  uneasy  ;  he  questions  her,  but  she 
declares  there  is  nothing  the  matter  ;  suddenly  a  Httle  girl, 
a  younger  sister,  one  of  the  enfant  terrible  kind,  who  has 
been  very  mischievous  all  the  time,  jumps  up  from  under 
the  table,  holding  aloft  a  false  ringlet,  the  loss  of  which  had 
caused  the  poor  young  lady's  distress.  General  astonish- 
ment of  the  guests,  and  discomfiture  of  the  young  lady, 
would  close  this  last  syllable. 

PETTICOAT. 

If  the  sound  of  the  syllables  may  be  taken,  and  the  spell- 
ing be  not  considered,  this  is  a  very  good  word. 

Pet.  —  Must  be  a  spoilt  child,  out  of  which  much  fun 
could  be  got. 

Tie.  —  This  was  once  amusingly  rendered  by  the  trick  of 
tying  two  persons  together  by  the  wrists,  who  did  not  know 
the  secret  by  which  to  disentangle  themselves.  A  quarrel- 
some man  and  wife  would  afford  the  most  amusement, 
some  waggish  friend  tying  them  together ;  or,  of  course,  the 
scene  might  turn  on  a  gentleman's  tie. 

Coat.  —  A  mistake  involving  some  difficulty  through  an 
exchange  of  coats.  Stolen  goods  found  in  the  pocket,  or 
a  love-letter,  or  a  lost  will,  would  do,  —  any  thing  by  which  a 
commotion  may  be  created. 

Petticoat.  —  May  be  represented  very  funnily  by  a  gen- 
tleman getting  his  wrong  luggage,  and  finding  this  article  of 
female  attire  in  the  shape  of  a  crinoline  ;  or  by  the  well- 
known  concealment  of  stolen  goods  under  its  shelter,  and 
arrest  by  the  policeman. 


122  CHARADES  AND  PROVERBS  IN  ACTIOfi, 


POSTMAN. 

Post.  —  Some  children  might  be  discovered  playing  the 
game  of  "post,"  and  some  amusing  interruption  arrives,  —  a 
letter  by  the  last  delivery,  announcing  some  startling  event ; 
of  some  rich  old  uncle  whom  they  were  anxious  to  please, 
coming  in  to  put  a  stop  to  the  noise.  A  mischievous  youth 
might  play  him  some  trick  in  revenge  for  disturbing  the 
game. 

Man.  —  A  lady  in  pursuit  of  a  man-servant,  several  com- 
ing with  extraordinary  manners,  of  different  kinds,  —  Irish, 
Scotch,  French.  The  part  might  be  intrusted  to  one  actor 
to  take  the  several  assumptions,  which  a  good  amateur  actor 
would  greatly  enjoy. 

Postman.  —  Valentine's  Day.  The  perpetual  postman's 
knock,  causing  continual  irritation  to  a  warm-tempered  old 
gentleman,  would  afford  plenty  of  amusement,  and  scope  for 
fun. 

POST-CHAISE. 

Post.  —  An  anxiety  for  a  letter,  the  post  anxiously  waited 
for;  or  a  very  deaf  man,  —  "deaf  as  a  post.'"  Either  might 
be  worked  into  a  good  scene. 

Chaise.  —  It  breaks  down  ;  adventures  of  the  party  who 
had  occupied  it,  whilst  waiting  for  repairs. 

Post-chaise.  —  A  runaway  couple  are  discovered  by 
means  of  the  post-chaise,  some  portion  of  their  luggage 
being  left  in  it. 

BOOKCASE. 

Book.  —  This  word  would  admit  of  a  variety  of  render- 
ings, —  a  betting-book,  a  book  lost,  an  album  (in  which  some 
one  might  be  asked  to  write  a  verse),  a  photograph-book,  a 


MISCHIEF.  123 

cresl-book,  or  booking  a  place  in  the  coach,  or  a  parcel  for 
the  train. 

Case.  —  Might  be  a  physician's  case,  —  some  one  taken 
very  ill,  and  the  doctor  sent  for ;  or  a  case  of  jewels  lost ;  or 
picture-case;  or  a  piteous  tale  of  distress,  a  sad  case, — all 
subjects  which  would  suggest  dramatic  situations.     Then 

Bookcase.  —  Some  great  discovery  from  the  shelves  of  a 
bookcase ;  or  concealed  behind ;  or  an  instance  of  somnam- 
bulism, where  the  sleep-walker  is  found  taking  a  book,  or 
placing  something  behind  those  on  the  shelves.  This  might 
all  be  connected  in  one  story,  which  is,  I  think,  the  most 
entertaining  way  of  acting  charades. 

WEDLOCK. 

Wed.  —  The  return  from  church  of  a  bride  and  bridegroom, 
subsequent  arrival  of  the  guests,  bridesmaids,  etc.  Amuse- 
ment might  be  got  from  a  stupid  servant,  or  the  mistakes  of 
the  green-grocer,  who  is  brought  in  to  wait. 

Lock.  —  The  bride  has  become  unreasonably  jealous,  and 
is  driven  at  length  to  the  terrible  expedient  of  opening  her 
husband's  desk.  She  breaks  the  lock ;  sends  in  alarm  for 
a  locksmith  to  repair  it ;  at  the  moment,  her  husband,  whom 
she  thought  was  abroad,  returns.  Scene  of-  vindication  and 
recrimination. 

Wedlock.  —  Discomfort  and  suspicion  still  prevail ;  the 
husband  is  angry,  and  the  wife  impudent.  An  old  bachelor 
friend  comes  to  stay  on  a  visit,  with  some  intention  of  marry- 
ing a  sister  of  the  bride ;  but  the  state  of  affairs  causes  a 
change  in  his  opinion,  and  he  decides  that  a  bachelor  life  is 
better  than  wedlock. 

MISCHIEF. 

Miss.  —  Here,  again,  sound  must  be  followed,  and  miss  be 
the  word,  which  could  be  acted  in  a  variety  of  ways,  —  a 


124  CHARADES  AND  PROVERBS  IN'  ACTION, 

young  lady  on  her  preferment,  an  old  maid  pretending  to  be 
young,  a  loss  or  "  miss  "  of  the  train. 

Chief.  —  An  Indian  chief,  or  head  of  some  public  oflfice. 
An  amusing  scene  with  the  former  might  be  made  by  the 
true  story  of  the  Indian's  anger  at  having  his  portrait 
painted,  under  the  impression  that  through  some  necro- 
mancy they  were  taking  off  his  face,  and  putting  it  on  the 
paper.  Or,  taking  the  chief  man  in  some  department,  a 
scene  with  a  clerk  giving  reasons  for  his  being  late  at  the 
office,  having  "sat  up  all  night  with  a  poor  sick  friend," 
might  be  made  very  funny. 

Mischief. — This  could  have  endless  variety,  —  mischief 
made  between  friends  or  lovers,  amongst  servants,  in  a 
school,  or  a  child  forever  in  mischief,  letting  pet  birds  out 
of  cages,  sewing  people's  dresses  together :  any  thing,  in 
short,  which  will  make  a  mischievous  situation,  and  end  with 
some  denoHment,  which  is  always  necessary  to  consider  in 
the  last  syllable  of  the  charades. 

WARDROBE. 

Ward.  —  The  trials  of  a  guardian  with  a  pretty,  gay  young 
ward  who  is  confided  to  his  care,  who  upsets  his  bachelor 
home,  and  worries  him  to  death,  and  whom  he  finally  decides 
to  send  to  the  other  guardian  named  in  the  will,  imagining 
him  to  be  an  old  married  man. 

Robe.  —  He  turns  out  a  young  student  in  chambers;  and 
some  fun  might  be  got  by  this  mistake  ;  the  guardian,  send- 
ing her  there  to  await  his  arrival,  thinking  the  wife  would 
of  course  receive  her;  and  she,  weary  of  waiting,  might 
amuse  herself  by  dressing  up  in  his  academical  cap  and 
gown. 

Wardrobe. — The  young  lady  of  such  mischievous  ten- 
dencies might  finally  be  sent  to  some  old  maiden  lady,  and 


WOODSTOCK.  125 

for  the  fun  of  frightening  her,  one  day  conceal  herself  in  an 
empty  wardrobe.  The  old  lady  rings  violently  for  her  maid 
to  inquire  what  has  become  of  her,  who,  having  been  in- 
structed not  to  tell,  will  give  no  information.  At  this 
moment  a  dealer  arrives  to  purchase  the  wardrobe,  and  locks 
the  doors  to  see  if  they  work  properly,  when  a  violent  shak- 
ing and  knocking  take  place,  which  causes  such  great  alarm 
that  the  dealer  rushes  out,  determined  to  have  nothing  to 
do  with  such  an  "uncanny"  piece  of  furniture.  The  maid 
is  then,  of  course,  obliged  to  reveal  her  mistress's  hiding- 
place  ;  and  the  indignant  old  lady  releases  the  girl,  and 
threatens  to  return  her  to  her  guardian. 

WOODSTOCK. 

Wood.  —  Some  young  people  are  lost  in  the  mazes  of  a 
wood,  who  had  bragged  about  knowing  their  way  so  well, 
making  good,  they  might  say,  the  old  adage,  "  Don't  cry  till 
you  are  out  of  the  wood."  Or  the  "  Babes  in  the  Wood  " 
might  be  enacted ;  the  scene  where  the  wicked  uncle  sends 
them  away  to  be  killed,  or  where  they  lie  down  to  sleep  in 
each  other's  arms.  For  the  robins  you  must  request  the 
audience  to  draw  on  their  imagination. 

Stock.  —  Taking  stock  in  a  shop  would  make  a  busy, 
bustling  scene ;  or  an  absent  old  gentleman  going  to  a 
dinner-party  with  his  white  stock  in  his  pocket,  and  his 
pocket-handkerchief  round  his  neck. 

Woodstock.  —  A  tableau  from  the  novel. 

MORTALITY. 

Mortal.  —  An  illiterate  man  comes  to  a  stone-mason  to 
have  an  epitaph  engraved,  and  insists  on  spelling  "  Here  lie 
the  {mortel)  mortal  remains."  The  stone-mason  proudly 
assures  him  he  was  at  school  for  years,  and  it  is  really 


126  CHARADES  AND   PROVERBS  IN  ACTION. 

spelled  mortle.  The  discussion,  and  final  determination  to 
omit  the  word  altogether,  or  submit  the  matter  to  another 
authority,  might  be  made  very  funny. 

I.  — Exceedingly  egotistical  person,  boring  every  one  with 
the  everlasting  "/say  this,"  or  "/do  that,"  and  one  of  the 
party  making  fun  of  him  without  his  perceiving  it. 

Ty  {tie).  —  A  wedding  breakfast.  Speeches  are  made,  and 
the  "  tie  "  which  has  that  morning  united  two  happy  beings 
might  be  touchingly  alluded  to  and  dwelt  on  in  one  of  the 
speeches  :  the  clergyman  might  be  the  spokesman,  and  say 
how  difficult  the  knots  which  he  ties  are  to  undo. 

Mortality.  —  Might  be  a  picture  from  the  novel  of  "  Old 
Mortality."  Many  words  might  be  found,  perhaps,  to  end 
in  this  manner  which  would  be  a  novelty. 

HELPMATE. 

Help.  —  A  poor  family  receiving  great  and  unexpected 
assistance. 

Mate.  —  The  mate  of  a  ship,  come  home  to  see  his  friends, 
recklessly  spending  his  money,  and  giving  a  supper-party. 

Helpmate.  —  Either  a  good  or  bad  one  may  be  repre- 
sented, —  the  devotion,  through  many  trials,  of  a  good  wife, 
or  the  misery  entailed  on  a  family  where  the  wife  is  not  a 
good  helpmate. 

INCAUTIOUS. 

Inn.  —  A  busy  hostelry,  with  the  arrival  of  guests,  etc. 

Cautious.  —  The  landlord,  priding  himself  on  his  caution, 
gets  deceived  by  some  sharpers ;  much  railed  at  by  his  wife 
in  consequence,  who  —  in 

Incautious  —  By  some  incautious  act  makes  a  similar 
blunder. 


lACK  AND    THE  BEAN-STALK.  127 

These  few  hints  may  be  very  much  amplified  in  the  acting, 
which  can  be  made  as  long  or  short  as  is  required.  When 
they  are  impromptUy  the  dresses  on  the  spur  of  the  moment, 
too,  add  greatly  to  the  fun.  Table-covers  or  colored  blankets 
make  admirable  dresses  for  Indian  chiefs.  Large  wrappers,- 
such  as  gentlemen  wear  about  their  throats,  make  excellent 
turbans.  Ladies'  shawls  serve  for  trains ;  and,  with  some 
white  aprons  and  nurses'  caps,  the  theatrical  wardrobe  is 
soon  made  up. 

Illustrated  poems  are  on  the  same  principle  as  ballads  in 
action,  save  that  in  the  former  each  scene  is  a  tableau. 
Kingsley's  "Three  Fishers"  has  been  given  in  this  way;  a 
deep  contralto  voice  behind  the  scenes  singing  the  ballad. 
Bishop  Doane's  **The  Sculptor-Boy,"  Tennyson's  "King 
Cophetua  and  the  Beggar-Maid,"  Whittier's  "  Maud  Muller," 
and  many  others,  will  suggest  themselves  at  once. 

JACK  AND   THE   BEAN-STALK,    IN    RHYME   (WITH  A 

MORAL). 

BY  MRS.  CHARLES  FERNALD. 
PREFACE. 

Then  will  it  not  be  just  as  well 
The  truth  our  little  ones  to  tell, 
To  let  the  darling  children  see 
Just  what  and  where  the  fairies  be, 
And  where  the  giants  really  grow  ? 
For  by  this  time  most  people  know 
That  fairy-tales  and  "  Mother  Goose  " 
Were  written  for  a  higher  use 
Than  singing  restless  babes  to  sleep, 
Or  making  timid  children  weep, 
Or  turning  boys,  for  many  an  hour. 
To  lambs,  just  by  their  magic  power. 


128  CHARADES  AND  PROVERBS  IN  ACTIOH. 

And  though  these  potent  uses  I 

Would  by  no  means  pass  lightly  by, 

Still  it  has  always  seemed  to  me 

The  children  should  be  taught  to  sec 

That  by  the  fairy,  giant,  sprite, 

Or  demon,  who  in  sin  delight, 

Is  meant  some  evil  of  their  own, 

A  vice  which  in  their  hearts  has  grown, 

Which  if  they  cherish  and  caress 

Will  fill  their  souls  with  ugliness ; 

That,  when  a  bad  thought  in  them  dies, 

A  good  one  in  its  place  will  rise ; 

And  nothing  can  good  fairies  be, 

But  truth,  love,  honor,  industry. 

Teach  them  their  actions,  words,  and  looks 

Write  every  day  new  story-books ; 

That  'tis  for  them  to  say  if  sin, 

The  tallest  giant,  shall  creep  in, 

Or  if  with  fairies  pure  and  bright 

They  keep  their  pages  clean  and  white. 

Ah  !  never  was  a  book  yet  writ 

By  heart  or  life,  without  a  bit 

Of  strife  'twixt  good  and  evil  powers 

For  mastery  o'er  us  and  ours. 

That  blessed  genii  only  may  your  lives  attend, 

Will  ever  be  the  wish,  dear  children,  of  your  friend 

J.   M.  R 

Characters.  —  Jack,  Mother,  Butcher,  Giant,  Wife,  Fairv 
Queen,  and  Attendants. 

The  words  of  Fairy  Queen  in  first  scene  may  be  spoken  or  sung,  as  is  most  convenient.  In 
the  third  scene,  if  it  is  impracticable  for  the  real  giant  to  fall,  a  dummy  can  easily  be  made  to  pet 
sonate  him,  to  be  thrown  down  the  bean-stalk.  All  of  the  "  Mother  Goose"  melodies  introduced 
should  be  sung  if  possible;  and  any  pretty  chorus,  like  "  Annie  Lee  "  or  "  Beautiful  Bells,"  should 
be  sung  while  Jack  awakens  from  his  dream. 

Scene  I.  —  Dilapidated  and  wretched.    Enter  Mother. 

Mother.    Ah,  where  is  Jack,  my  lazy  Jack?    He  spends  the  live' 
long  day, 
While  I  am  starving  here  at  home,  in  idleness  and  play. 


JACK  AlVD    THE  BEAN-STALHT.  1^9 

Tis  hours  since  I  have  tasted  food  —  even  a  bit  of  bread. 
O  Jack,  if  you  would  only  work  !     I  wish  that  I  were  dead ! 

{Enter  Jack.) 

Jack.    Ho,  mother,  I'm  so  hungry  !    Can  we  have  our  supper  now  f 

Mother.    There's  nothing  but  a  little  milk  from  good  old  mooly  cow. 
O  Jack  !  unless  you  do  some  work,  we  both  of  us  will  die. 
You  are  an  idle,  useless  boy !     Oh,  pray,  my  child,  do  try  ! 
For  if  you  don't  do  something,  Jack,  you'll  come  to  grief  and  harm ; 
And  Mr.  Brown  will  pay  you  well  to  help  him  on  his  farm. 
O  child !  if  you  would  only  look  down  in  your  heart,  and  see 
The  hideous  giant  living  there  who  brings  this  misery, 
The  ugly  monster  Idleness,  —  yes,  Jack,  that  is  his  name,  — 
You  would  not  dare  to  raise  your  head  :  you'd  die  for  very  shame. 

Jack.    Well,  mother.     But  I  mean  to  work  —  oh,  yes,  indeed !  some 
day; 
But  now  I'm  but  a  little  chap,  and  little  chaps  should  play. 
You  can't  expect  a  boy  like  me  would  pitch  right  in  and  work. 
Just  wait  till  I  grow  up  :  you'll  see  there's  nothing  I  will  shirk. 

Mother.    You're  not  a  little  boy  now.  Jack  :  you  are  almost  a  man ; 
And  you  could  earn  enough  if  you  would  do  the  best  you  can. 
But  that  old  serpent  Idleness  in  you  has  grown  so  strong, 
He  makes  you  think  you're  doing  right  when  you  are  doing  wrong. 
If  you  don't  kill  him  pretty  soon,  then.  Jack,  he  will  kill  you. 
For  we  have  not  a  bit  to  eat.     Oh,  dear  I  what  shall  we  do  ? 

Jack.    I  think  we'd  better  sell  the  cow,  she  don't  do  us  much  good; 
And  with  the  money  we  shall  get  we'll  buy  —  oh,  lots  of  food! 
We'll  have  a  jolly  lay-out  then,  —  caramels  full  of  cream, 
Mince-pies  and  cheese,  and  taffy  too.    Golly !  how  good  'twill  seem  ! 

Mother.    Oh,  stop  your  foolish  nonsense,  Jack !  I  tell  you,  every 
cent 
That  mooly  brings,  for  bread  and  meat  will  all  have  to  be  spent. 
Oh,  how  it  grieves  me  thus  to  part  with  our  dear,  good  old  cow ! 
And  Jack,  if  you  would  only  work,  we  should  not  have  to  now. 

Tack.    There,  mother,  don^t  cry  any  more.    I'll  make  a  first-rate  trade ; 
And  we'll  have  lots  of  money  then :  so  don't  you  be  afraid. 
We'll  live  like  lords  and  ladies,  yes,  till  both  of  us  grow  old, 
And  every  thing  we  use  shall  be  of  silver  or  of  gold. 

Mother.    Well,  then,  Jack,  I  suppose  we  must ;  and  I  so  will  go  now 
And  take  a  last,  long  lingering  look  at  poor  old  black-tailed  cow. 

{Exit  Mother. 


130  CHARADES  AND  PROVERBS  IN  ACTION. 

Jack  {dances  and  sings).    High  diddle  diddle,  the  cat  and  the  fiddle; 
the  cow  she  is  going  soon^  etc. 

{Enter  Butcher,  watches  Jack.) 

Butcher.    Waal,  I  declar !  I  swaow  you  air  the  darnedst  dancin'  chap 
I  ever  see  ;  jes  like  a  monkey  kickin'  in  a  trap. 
I  guess  you're  jes  a  lee\}it.  cracked,  an'  I'll  go  hum  again. 

{Goes  toward  door. 
Jack.     Here  we  go  up,  up,  up,  and  here  we  go  down,  down,  downy 
{spins  about) ; 
Here  we  go  backward  and  forward,  and  here  we  go  round,  round,  roundy. 
Butcher.    Waal,  yes,  that's  jes  abaout  your  style.    You  air  a  crazy 
goose, 
And,  though  you  spin  raound  spry  enough,  I  guess  you  ain't  much  use. 
I  reckon  'tis  my  wisest  course  to  git  out  of  his  way ; 
My  time's  too  val'able  to  look  at  spinnin'-Jacks  all  day. 
Jack  {catches  him.,  and  makes  him  whirl  about  with  him).    Oh,  come 
with  me  in  my  little  canoe ; 
ril  duck  you,  my  love,  in  its  waters  blue. 
Butcher  {alarmed).    Great  Scots !     He  wants  to  kill  me  naow :  he 
says  I  shall  be  draowned. 
He  ha'n't  no  more  respect  for  me  than  any  old  caow  raound. 
Jack  {suddenly  stands  still,  looks  sharply  at  him).    A  cow,  a  cow ! 
You  want  a  cow  f    Why,  you're  the  very  man. 
She's  white  as  milk,  all  but  her  tail :  now  beat  that  if  you  can ! 
Gives  twenty  quarts  of  milk  a  day,  and  never  eats  a  thing  {gesticulates 

violently). 
To  any  one  who  owns  that  cow,  she  will  a  fortune  bring. 
Butcher  {looks  around).     You  ha'n't  got  nothing  though,  to  spare. 
Things  looks  —  waal,  peekish,  here. 
I'll  take  the  critter,  though,  unless  she's  too  all-fired  dear. 

Jack.     I'll  fetch  the  milking-pail  to  hold  the  money:  that  will  do. 
So  out  with  the  spondulics,  man,  and  count  them  quick,  will  you  ? 

Butcher.     Oh,  I  ha'n't  got  no  chink  to  give  for  any  black-tailed  caow; 
But  if  yer  was  a  mind  to  trade,  think  I  mought  suit  yer  now. 
Money  don't  fetch  us  every  thing  —  no,  sir,  by  a  long  chalk  ! 
But,  if  yer'd  like  to  trade  a  mite,  we  might  begin  ter  talk. 

Jack.     But  I  must  sell  the  cow  for  cash  to  buy  us  bread  and  noMt : 
We've  not  a  mouthful,  not  a  crust,  left  in  our  house  to  eat. 


jACk  AND    THE  BEAN-STALk.  13! 

Butcher.    Well,  I  ha'n't  no  loose  cash ;  but  what  I've  got  is  worth 
lots  more 
Than  any  di'monds  blazin'  raound  in  any  juUer's  store. 
An'  if  yer  trade  with  me,  —  now  mind,  I'm  tellin'  truths  young  man, — 
They'll  make  yer  fortune,  if  yer  use  them  as  yer  ought  and  can. 
Jack.    Trot  out  your  stuff,  then;   let  us  see  what  all  this  talking 

means. 
Butcher  {takes  handful  of  beans  from  his  pockety  and  shows  them). 
The  pootiest  things  yer  ever  see !  just  thirty  smooth  white  beans, 
All  polished  up,  like  marble  is,  and  hard  and  raound  and  clean. 
If  yer  don't  swop  'em  for  the  caow,  I'll  say  yer  all-fired  green. 
Jack  {looks  at  beans,  and  then  at  Butcher  in  silence).    Well,  I  don't 
know  so  very  much,  'cause  I  wouldn't  go  to  school : 
But  I  know  what  a  swindler  is.     D'ye  take  me  for  a  fool  ? 
Get  out  of  here,  and  take  your  trash  —  quick  too,  or  you  will  feel 
What  I  am  laying  up  for  you  not  far  from  my  boot-heel ! 
^\:ic^^^  {slowly  puts  beans  in  his  pocket).    The  fools  ain't  all  dead 
yet,  I  see.     Now  my  words,  young  man,  mind,  — 
Some  day  yer'd  give  all  your  old  shoes  if  yer  hadn't  been  so  blind : 
A  fortune  is  in  every  bean,  —  yes,  sir,  there's  millions  in  it : 
If  yer  don't  want  'em,  then  I'm  off  in  less  than  half  a  minute. 
Jack.    Oh^  if  you're  sure^  now,  very  sure,  they'll  bring  good  luck 
to  me, 
I'll  take  them  and  give  you  the  cow.    She's  out  there,  don't  you  see  ? 
{Takes  beans ^ 
Butcher.    Thar,  naow,  yer  growin'  sensible.     An'  I'll  jes  bet  yer, 
lad. 
Them  little  beans  may  keep  yer  back  from  goin'  to  the  bad. 
Di'monds  ain't  nothin'  side  of  them ;  and  if  yer've  grit  and  pluck, 
'Tain't  long  afore  you'll  bless  them  beans  for  bringin'  y^r  good  luck. 

[Exit. 
Jack  {looks  after  Butcher,  and  then  at  beans  in  his  hand).    Better 
than  diamonds,  so  he  said.    Well,  really,  I  can't  see 
How  a  few  common  small  white  beans  better  than  gold  can  be. 
But  then  he  said  he  was  quite  sure  my  fortune  they  would  make. 
Oh,  dear  !  I  wish  I'd  thought  to  ask  him  just  how  long  Uwould  take. 

{Looks  at  beans.) 
Now  may  be  they  are  diamond-seeds, — pearl-seeds  there  are,  I  know, — 
And,  hocus-pocused  underground,  beans  may  to  diamonds  groMi , 


132  CHARADES  AND  PROVERBS  IN  ACTION, 

And  mine  may  yield  at  least  a  peck  or  bushel,  maybe  two. 

Oh,  golly !  I  shall  be  (Mother  enters^  and  watches  him  silently)  so  rich 

*    I  sha'n't  know  what  to  do  ! 
Our  house  shall  all  be  built  of  gold,  our  carriages  of  pearls ; 
My  clothes  shall  be  made  like  a  king's ;  I'll  wear  my  hair  {considers)  —  in 

curls ; 
Airily)  I  sha'n't  mix  up  with  people  herej  I  never  shall  be  seen 
With  any  one  but  earls  and  dukes,  and  live  quite  near  the  queen. 
My  mother,  she  shall  be  arrayed  in  velvet,  satin,  silk. 
And  ride  upon  an  —  elephant,  a  Jumbo  white  as  milk ; 
And  she  shall  wear  upon  her  head  all  day  a  golden  crown, 
And  every  one  who  sees  her  shall  stop,  and  thus  bow  down  ipows^  as  if 

to  royalty). 
Mother  {rushes  wildly  in).    O  Jack !  what  are  you  talking  of  ?    Tell 

me  what  this  all  means ! 
Jack.    Why,  that  I've  traded  off  the  cow  for  —  thirty  little  beans. 

{Tableau.) 

Mother  {weeps  violently).    O  Jack,  Jack !    Such  a  wicked  thing  you 

cannot^  Jack,  have  done : 
There's  nothing  now  to  do  but  die.    O  Jack,  my  son,  my  son !    {Sinks 

on  floor.) 
Jack.    How  could  I  have  been  such  a  fool  to  mind  a  word  he  said, 
And  my  poor  mother  starving  there,  dying  for  want  of  bread.    {Looks  at 

beans,  and  bites  one  in  two.) 
They're  nothing  but  just  beans,  yes,  beans.    That  fellow  lied io  me. 
The  cow  was  all  we  had  —  yes,  I  have  been  a  fool,  I  see.    {Throws 

beans  away.) 
Lie  there  and  rot/    But,  if  /live  to  see  another  day, 
I  vow  I'll  spend  it  all  in  work,  and  not  one  hour  in  play. 
I've  been  an  idle,  wicked  boy,  an  unkind,  cruel  son, 
And  for  my  poor  old  mother  there  not  one  good  thing  I've  done. 

{Goes  to  Mother,  and  bends  over  her  :  she  weeps  and  sobs.) 
O  mother,  don't  cry  any  more !  and  from  this  day  you'll  see 
How  hard  I'll  work,  and  how  I'll  try  a  real  good  son  to  be.    {They  both 

sleep.) 

{Enter  Fairy  Queen  and  Attendants.) 
Attendant  {sings).    Fairy  queen,  what  do  we  here? 


JACK  AND    THE  BEAN-STALK.  I33 

Fairy  Queen  {sings.    Music,  ''Pinafore'").    Good  work  waits  for  us, 
my  dear. 
Do  you  see  that  boy  asleep  ? 

Attendant.    Perhaps  "  Boy  Blue,"  without  his  sheep. 
Lovely  queen,  is  it  so  } 

Fairy  Queen.    Ah,  no,  no !    'Tis  idle  Jack, 
Who  to  work  won't  bend  his  back; 
Spending  all  the  livelong  day 
Either  in  mischief  or  in  play. 

Attendant.    Is  that  so !    Oh,  oh,  oh  ! 

Fairy  Queen.    Boys  and  girls  should  never  shirk 
Doing  their  own  share  of  work. 
See  this  mother,  sick  and  sad. 
Grieving  o'er  this  idle  lad. 

Attendant.    Yes,  we  know :  that  is  so. 

Mother  {sings  in  sleep).     I  may  labor,  I  may  preach ; 
But  my  boy  I  cannot  teach. 
He  would  rather  go  and  play 
Than  listen  to  a  word  I  say. 

Attendant.    Ah  !  we  know :  that  is  so. 

Fairy  Queen  {speaks).    And  before  he  wakes  again, 
To  save  them  both  from  future  pain, 
I  will  let  this  young  Jack  see 
What  an  idle  life  can  be. 
His  own  heart  to  him  I'll  show, 
And  what  a  monster  there  does  grow. 
If  we  can  but  his  conscience  wake, 
Another  path  the  boy  may  take ; 
For  I'm  sure  this  mother's  lad 
Cannot  be  altogether  bad. 
And  idle  Jack  shall,  if  we  can. 
Be  made  a  good,  industrious  man. 

Mother  {speaks).    Ah,  if  my  poor  idle  Jack 
Would  only  choose  another  track ! 
If  these  little,  worthless  beans, 
To  save  my  boy  should  be  the  means, 
I'd  be  thankful  even  now 
That  we  parted  with  the  cow. 
Jack,  dear  Jack  1     I  wish  you  would 
Try  to  be  useful,  Jack,  and  good. 


134  CHARADES  AND   PROVERBS  IN  ACTION. 

For  mine,  your  mother's  sake,  oh,  try ! 
Or  else  I  must  lie  here  —  and  die.    {Sobs.) 

Attendant  {softly).    Do  not  cry.     We  will  try, 
Ere  too  late,  show  him  his  fate. 

Fairy  Queen  {waves  wand).    Now  all  is  still  without,  within. 
Let  idle  Jack  his  dream  begin. 

Guard  him  with  downy  robes,  lest  fell  night-dews  arise : 
With  charms  and  flowers  wreath  him,  that  sleep  seal  his  eyes. 

(Fairy  Queen  gives  Attendants  flowers.  They  advance  to  Jack  ; 
and^  while  covering  him  with  flowers^  he  slips  off  stage  unseen^  while  fac- 
simile  fllls  his  place.  All  exit  silently^  dancing  to  soft  music.  Bean- 
stalk should  now  appear  as  if  shooting  suddenly  from  the  ground  whei'e 
beans  had  been  thrown.  Enter  Jack.) 
Jack  {yawns).     Oh,  dear !  oh,  dear !  I  cannot  find  a  single  thing  to 

eat! 
I'd  give,  yes,  all  the  world  I  would,  for  some  good  bread  and  meat; 
But  not  a  penny,  no,  not  one,  have  we  to  buy  food  now. 
Since  I  made  such  a  stupid  trade  with  our  poor  black-tailed  cow.    {Sees 

bean-stalk.) 
Why,  what  is  that  ?    By  Jupiter,  by  Saturn,  and  by  Mars, 
The  Sun  and  Moon,  the  Milky  Way,  and  all  the  inferior  stars ! 
A  great  green  stalk  {shakes  it)  so  strong  and  tall !     I  don't  see  what  this 

means. 
Oh,  golly !    By  the  great  horn-spoon,  it's  sprung  up  from  those  beans ! 

{Looks  up.) 
I  really  can't  believe  my  eyes.     In  one  night  grown  so  high? 
Why,  I  can't  see  the  top  of  it:  it  must  be  near  the  sky. 
I'd  really  like  to  find  out  where  the  plaguy  thing  does  stop. 
What  fun  'twould  be  to  climb  up  there,  —  up  to  the  very  top! 
Oh,  dear,  me!  I'd  go  twice  as  far  for  something  good  to  eat: 
I'd  give  the  world,  if  it  was  mine,  for  some  cold  bread  and  meat. 
I'm  sure  to  starve  if  I  stay  here :  so  I  may  as  well  try 
To  find  out  where  this  bean-stalk  goes  as  stay  down  here  —  and  die, 
Good-by,  then,  poor  old  mother  dear  {kisses  her  softly),  and,  if  I  don't 

come  back. 
Don't  grieve  for  such  a  worthless  boy  as  your  own  lazy  Jack.    {Climbs 

up  bean-stalk.) 

(Slow  curtain^ 


JACK  AND    THE  BEAN-STALK,  1 35 

Scene  II.  —  Jack  climbing  from  bean-stalk;  looks  about  in  astonish' 
mentj  sees  pretty  country-place  j  breathes  hard. 

Jack.     By  Jupiter,  I'm  up  at  last !  and  I  don't  think  I'd  lie 
If  I  should  say  that  pesky  stalk  at  least  was  ten  miles  high. 
I  guess  I  sha'n't  be  sorry,  though.     This  place  {looks  around)  is  awful 

pretty, 
A  great  deal  better  than  {hesitates)  —  down  there  {points  downward)^  — 

down  in  that  noisy  city. 
Oh,  dear !  if  I  could  only  find  any  thing  I  could  eat ! 
I'll  take  a  look  around  the  place  to  see  what  luck  I  meet. 
Poor  mother!    Oh,  dear,  how  she  cried!    Ah!  she  was  hungry  too. 

( Wipes  eyes.) 
She  sha'n't  cry  any  more,  though,  now,  if  I  get  work  to  do. 
{Enter  Fairy  Queen  and  Attendants  silently). 

0  Jupiter  and  Hail  Columbia !     I  wonder  what  this  means. 
Perhaps — this  must  be  fairy-land,  all  sprung  up  from  those  beans; 
Or  maybe  —  maybe  I  am  dead,  and  these  are  little  ghosts. 

I'll  get  away,  I  will:  I'll  hide  behind  some  of  these  posts. 

They're  not  bad  looking,  though,  for  spooks  j  but  one  can  never  tell 

What  mischief  they  are  plotting  there  :  so  'twill  be  just  as  well.    {Tries 

to  hide.) 
Fairy  Queen.    There,  Jack,  you  need  not  try  to  hide :  'twould  be 

no  use,  you  see ; 
For  anywhere  in  fairy-land  you  can't  escape  from  me. 
I've  watched  you  for  a  long  time.  Jack :  I've  brought  you  here  to-night 
To  show  you  what  you  really  are,  —  a  useless,  lazy  wight. 

1  saw  your  poor  old  mother.  Jack  :  I  heard  her  moan  and  weep^ 
And  grieve  about  her  idle  son,  yes,  even  in  her  sleep. 

A  cruel  boy  you  are  to  her,  a  useless,  lazy  lad, 

And  going  nearer  every  day,  much  nearer,  to  the  bad. 

Jack  {trembling).    Yes,   thank    you,    ma'am!     I'm    much    obliged! 
You're  right  f    Oh,  I  mean,  ma'am, 
I'm  nothing  but  a  lazy  fraud,  and  that's y«j/  what  I  am ! 

Fairy  Queen.     Don't  interrupt  me  any  more,  for  I  mean  you  shall 
sefe 
What  a  vile  monster  "  Idleness  "  in  any  heart  can  be. 
He  is  2i  giant  in  yours,  Jack ;  he  fills  up  all  your  life ; 
And,  if  a  good  thought  comes  to  you,  he  kills  it  with  his  knife. 
There  is  but  one  way  left  now,  Jack,  just  one^  for  you  to  do,-— 
To  kill  him  :  yes,  indeed,  you  must,  or  else  he  will  kill  you* 


136  CHARADES  AND  PROVERBS  IN  ACTION, 

T<vmorrow  it  will  be  too  late,  it  must  be  done  to-night. 
And,  though  I'll  help  you  all  I  can,  ''\!\% you  alone  xk\i%\  fight. 

Jack.    Oh,  yes,  yes,  ma'am,  I  will,  I  will!    I'm  ready  now  to  go: 
Just  tell  me  where  the  beggar  is^  only  give  me  a  show. 
Oh,  yes !  I  know  I'm  in  his  power,  bound  down  with  strong  chains  in  it 
No  matter  what  I  have  to  do,  I'll  do  it,  yes,  this  minute. 
I'll  stop  for  nothing,  —  oh,  no,  ma'am,  not  even  bread  and  meat! 
This  villain  he  shall  die^  I  say,  before  one  bit  I  eat. 
My  mother  she  shall  cry  no  more ;  for  I've  made  up  my  mind 
To  be  a  good  boy.    Tell  me,  ma'am,  where  shall  this  wretch  I  find  ? 

Fairy  Queen.    Ah,  Jack !  I  knew  you'd  try  to  be  a  good,  or  better 
boy; 
*Twill  make  your  poor  old  mother  glad ;  her  heart  will  leap  with  joy. 
So  now  a  secret  I'll  unfold,  that  no  one  knows  but  me. 
Which,  if  you  but  prove  faithful,  Jack,  soon  all  the  world  may  see. 
The  giant  in  his  stronghold  hoards  gems,  jewels,  silver,  gold, 
Which  he  has  stolen  from  you.  Jack,  and  has  no  right  to  hold. 
If  you  are  firm  and  brave  and  true,  —  if  you  will  kill  him.  Jack, — 
These  precious  treasures,  all  of  them,  to  you  will  soon  come  back. 
This  is  your  last,  your  only  chance,  and  this  night  you  must  choose ; 
For,  if  he  lives,  much  more  than  gold  and  jewels  you  will  lose. 
Though  I  must  vanish  from  your  sight,  I  still  will  linger  near; 
For  none  hut  you  can  fight  this  fight.     Vour  enemy  is  here. 

Jack  {tries  to  detain  her).    Oh,  please^  ma'am !  oh,  I  beg  of  you !  —  oh, 
please^  don't  go  away ! 
I'll  kill  the  biggest  of  them,  ma'am,  if  you  will  only  stay, 
And  tell  me  what  I  am  to  do,  and  whom  I  have  to  fight. 
They're  gone,  and  left  me  all  alone !     I'm  in  a  pretty  plight ! 

{Enter  Giant  and  Wife.) 

Oh,  mercy  on  me !    Who  is  this  f    Is  this  the  cruel  man 

That  I  must  kill.?    Oh,  I'm  afraid !     I'll  hide  me  if  I  can.    {Hides.) 

Giant  {loudly).    Fee,  faw,  fo,  fum !  I  tell  you  now  I  know  I  smeL 
fresh  meat. 

Wife.    And  that  is  all  you  care  about,  —  just  something  good  to  eat  ? 

Giant.    Why,  that's  the  best  thing  I  can  do,  then  I  can  go  to  sleep : 
I'd  rather  have  a  nice  fat  boy  than  any  kind  of  sheep. 
Oh,  if  I  only  had  one  now,  I'll  bet  there'd  be  some  fun ! 
They  make,  oh,  such  delicious  pies,  so  tender  !  —  ah,  num^  num  / 


JACK  AND    THE  BEAN-STALK.  1 37 

The  idle  boys  and  girls  are  mine,  I  catch  them  in  my  trap.    {Sniffs 

about.) 
Fresh  meat  I  smell :  where  can  it  be  ?    {Yawns.) 
I  think  I'll  take  a  nap.    {Lays  head  on  table,  and  snores.) 

[Exit  Wife 
Jack  {creeps  out  cautiously).    And  can  it  be  that  /  am  like  that  cruel, 
dreadful  man  1 
I'll  crush  the  monster  '■^Idleness :''''  I'll  kill  him  —  if  I  can. 
But  how  can  /,  a  weak,  small  boy,  with  neither  sword  nor  gun  ? 
He'd  crush  me  like  a  little  mouse,  and  think  'twas  real  good  fun. 
I  wish  I  had  a  good  revolver,  or  a  large  bear-trap,  — 
Something  to  whirl  his  ugly  head  off  with  a  bang  —  and  snap. 
What  shall  I  do  ?    The  fairy  said  it  "  must  be  done  to-night.^'' 
'Tis  my  own  idle  wickedness  has  brought  me  to  this  plight. 
Oh  !  if  the  power  to  cleanse  my  heart  is  given  now  to  me, 
No  more  forever,  from  this  hour,  a  lazy  Jack  I'll  be. 

{Enter  Wife.) 
Wife.    Here,  Idleness,  wake  up :  here  is  your  money,  hen,  and  harp. 

{Shakes  him) 
Giant  {sniffs).    I  tell  you,  wife,  I  smell  fresh  meat.    Why  don't  you 
look  round  sharp  ? 
My  appetite  is  poor  to-day.     If  you  could  find  a  few 
Nice  well-grown  boys,  to  make  a  pie,  or  put  into  a  stew, 
I  think  I  might  be  tempted,  wife,  to  eat  them  up :  so  come. 
Look  round!  for  I  can  smell  fresh  {rises)  meat,  —  nice,  tender  boys, — 
num,  num ! 
Wife  {sees  Jack).    Oh,  don't  be  foolish !    Sit  down  now !    See  all 
your  bags  of  money ; 
And,  while  you  count  it,  I  will  go  and  bring  some  bread  and  honey ; 
And  then  your  pretty  hen  will  lay  for  you  a  golden  tgg. 
I'll  find  out  if  there's  fresh  meat  here;  but  you  sit  still,  I  beg. 

\Signs  to  Jack,  and  exit. 
Giant  {sings).    The  king  was  in  his  counting-house,  counting  out  his 
money: 
The  queen  was  in  the  parlor,  eating  bread  and  honey.    {Laughs  boister- 
ously.) 
That  wife  of  mine,  I  say  she  don^t  give  me  enougli  to  eat. 
I'll  take  a  nap,  and  then  {sniffs) —    I'm  sure,  I  know,  I  smell  fresh  meat 
{SUeps,) 


I3S  CHARADES  AND  PROVERBS  IN  ACTION. 

Jack.     He  cares  for  nothing  but  to  eat,  to  sleep  —  lives  like  a  pig. 
Oh  !  have  my  little  idle  ways  grown  up  so  fierce,  so  big  ? 
Now  I  can  see  how  /  appear  in  other  people's  eyes. 
O  Heaven !  no  more  let  idleness  in  my  young  heart  arise, 
But  give  to  my  hands  willingness,  and  find  them  work  to  do, 
And  give  me  strength  to  be  a  man,  yes,  and  a  good  man  too. 
{Enter  Wife  cautiously^ 

Wife.     Kxtyou  the  boy  the  fairy  said  was  coming  here  to  take 
Me  from  this  cruel  giant  here,  before  he  is  awake  ?    (Jack  nods.) 
We  must  be  quick;  for,  if  he  wakes,  he'd  kill  you  with  one  blow. 
And  you  must  take  his  precious  treasures  all  with  you,  you  know. 
You  take  the  bags,  the  money.     Throw  them  down  the  great  bean-stalk ; 
Then  come  and  help  me  with  the  rest.     Be  quick !     Don't  stop  to  talk  ! 

(Jack  takes  money-bags^  and  throws  quickly  down  bean-stalk  j  hurries 
back,  and  is  about  to  take  harp.) 

Giant  {moves  restlessly).    Fee,  faw,  fo,  fum !    Wife,  wife,  I  know  I 
smell  a  tender  boy. 
Ah !  if  I  just  could  catch  one  now,  I'd  dance,  yes,  dance  for  joy. 

Wife.    You'd  better  not  wake  up  just  yet.     I'm  fixing  up  a  stew 
And  a  nice  broil^  —  the  very  best  I  ever  cooked  for  you. 
'Tis  nearly  ready.  —  Jack,  be  quick  !    He'll  waken  soon,  I  know. 
He  can't  sleep  well  when  boys  are  here  :  he  smells  fresh  meat.     Now  go 
And  slip  that  box  away  from  him,  —  the  one  beneath  his  head ; 
But,  oh,  don't  let  him  catch  you,  Jack  !  for,  if  he  does,  you're  dead. 
'Tis  filled  with  things  he  stole  from  you ;  oh,  priceless  treasures,  Jack ! 
Uprightness,  honor,  industry.     Do  try  to  get  them  back ; 
For  all  the  money,  without  these,  will  do  you,  Jack,  no  good: 
No  wealth  can  ever  make  of  you  what  these  bright  jewels  should. 
You,  you  alone,  gave  him  the  power  to  keep  your  treasures  bright : 
If  you  would  have  them  back  2iga\n,you  must  get  {points  to  Giant)  them 
to-night. 

(Jack  goes  cautiously  to  table,  slowly  slips  box  out  from  under  Giant's 
head,  which  bumps  on  table.  Jack  hides  behind  table.  Wife  watches 
eagerly.) 

Giant  {wakes.)    I  tell  you,  wife,  I  smell  fresh  meat.     Oh,  I  could  eat 
twelve  boys ! 
While  I  was  snoring,  didn't  you  hear  a  very  curious  noise  ?    {Looks  about, 
perceives  Jack,  who  moves  round  nimbly.     Giant  sits  still.) 


JACK  AND    THE  BEAN-STALK.  1 39 

Hullo,  hullo !     Fresh  meat,  fresh  meat !     I  told  you  so,  didn't  I  ? 

Here,  little  boy,  come  let  me  feel  if  you'll  do  for  a  pie. 

If  I  can  crack  your  bones  between  my  finger  and  my  thumb, 

You'll  make  a  tender,  juicy  pie.     D'ye  hear?    Why  donH you  come? 

What  are  you  doing  with  my  things  ?     Where's  my  box  gone,  I  say  t 

You  little  villain  !  I'll  soon  stop  your  very  pretty  play.    {Gets  up  slowly^ 

Wife,  wife  !  where  are  you?     Wife^  I  say!     I've  caught  some  nice  fresh 

meat. 
You  hurry  up,  and  make  the  pie.     Oh,  won't  I  have  a  treat !     {Chases 

Jack,  who  dodges  and  eludes  him  till  he  becomes  furious) 
Jack.     Say !  don't  you  think,  old  kidnapper,  it  would  be  rather  wise 
To  catch  your  nice  fresh  meat  before  you  make  it  into  pies  ? 
We've  taken  all  your  money-bags,  your  jewels,  silver,  gold : 
Your  wife  and  I  we're  going  to  leave  you  out  quite  in  the  cold. 

(Giant  still  pursues) 
DotiH  break  its  little  heart,  now  donU.     Ta-ta,  my  love,  by  by  I 
Remember  me  at  dinner-time.     I'm  too  fresh  for  a  —  pie. 

{They  chase,  dodge^  and  elude  each  other  for  some  time;  then  Wife 
takes  harp,  and  Jack  the  box^  and  escape  to  the  bean-stalk.  Giant 
follows  clumsily.     This  action  should  be  brisk  and  exciting) 

{Curtain) 

Scene  III.  —  Same  as  first.     Wife,  at  foot  of  bean-stalk,  holds  harp^ 
etc.     Jack  climbs  down,  with  strong  box  clasped  closely  to  him. 

Jack  {hands  box  to  Wife).     Please  take  the  box,  and  hold  it  fast, 

while  I  run  double-quick 
To  get  my  axe.     Then,  just  the  moment  beautiful  old  Nick 
Puts  his  small  feet  upon  the  stalk,  well,  on  the  upper  round, 
I'll  chop  it  here  ;  and  then  I  think  perhaps  he'll  tumble  down. 
Oh,  dear,  when  he  ran  after  us,  how  fast  my  heart  did  beat ! 
He  roaring  all  the  time  to  me,  "Stop,  stop,  you  young  fresh  meat!" 

{Fetches  axe) 
Wife  {trembles  and  weeps).     O  fack  !    But,  if  he  catches  us,  I  know 

what  he  will  do ; 
He'll  make  me  —  oh  !  I'm  sure  he  will  —  into  a  nice  lamb  stew. 
It  was  too  bad  for  one  so  beautiful  and  delicate  as  I 
To  such  a  great,  vile  monstrous  wretch  my  little  self  to  tie. 


I40  CHARADES  AND  PROVERBS  IN  ACTION. 

I  loved  him  once,  yes,  long  ago,  before  he  grew  so  tall ; 
But,  now  I  know  how  bad  he  is,  I  don't  love  him  at  all. 
O  Jack !  I  know  he's  coming.    {Looks  up.)    Yes,  I  see  both  of  his  feet. 

Giant.     Ha,  ha!  you  can't  run  from  me  now:    I'll  catch  you  yet, 
fresh  meat. 

Jack.     Come  !  come  along,  old  Idleness,  you  miserable  old  sinner. 
I'll  do  my  level  best  to  spoil  your  appetite  for  dinner. 

{Chops  stalk  down.    Giant  falls.,  shakes  fist  at  Jack,  and  dies.    They 
look  at  him  silently^ 

How  could  he,  thus  have  grown  within  my  heart,  and  I  not  know  it? 
Wife.     Because  "  none  see  themselves  as  others  do,"  thus  says  the 

poet. 
Jack  {solemnly).    To  idleness  from  this  day  /  will  yield,  no,  never, 

NEVER ! 

Wife.    No  more  will  /,  I'm  very  sure ;  no,  no !  well,  hardly  ever. 
Jack.    But  I'm  in  solemn  earnest.     Now  say,  shall  we  not  both  try 
To  make  up  for  the  precious  time  we've  lost,  —  both  you  and  1 1 
Wife.    Yes,  yes,  dear  Jack !  with  all  my  heart ;  yes,  and  with  both  my 

hands.     {They  join  hands.) 
Both.     We'll  join  the  ranks  of  industry,  and  fulfil  its  demands. 
Jack.     I  feel  so  happy !     I  must  run  and  find  my  dear  old  mother. 
Wife.    Oh !  take  me  to  your  home,  dear  Jack :   indeed  I  have  no 

other. 
Jack.    You  never  more  shall  want  a  home.     Through  you  I've  gained 
this  fight : 
For  mother  and  for  you  my  hands  shall  toil  from  morn  till  night. 

[Exit. 
(Fairy  Queen  and  Attendants  enter,) 
Fairy  Queen  {sings). 

Happily  breaketh  the  golden  light 

Of  balmy,  rosy  morning. 
When  through  the  long,  dark  hours  of  night, 

Is  heeded  a  timely  warning ; 
When  in  our  dreams  too  well  we  see 
What  loves  our  hearts  are  holding. 
What  thoughts  unholy  there  can  be, 
Our  very  lives  infolding. 


JACK  AND   THE  BEAN-STALK.  I4I 

Mother  (sings  sadly). 

Wearily  breaketh  the  golden  light 

Of  balmy,  rosy  morning, 
When  the  heart  dreads,  through  cold,  sad  night, 

To  see  the  new  day  dawning ; 
When  in  our  dreams  too  well  we  feel 

Our  hearts  within  us  breaking ; 
When  the  night  brings  no  love  to  heal, — 

Nought  but  a  bitter  waking. 
{Repeat  as  duet^  each  singing  her  own  verse,  "  Merrily,"  "  Wearily,"  etc.) 

Fairy  Queen.    Soft,  soft,  to  young  Jack's  side  now  nimbly  steal, 
And  from  his  warning  dream  his  eyes  unseal. 

(Attendants  all  dance  over  to  where  Jack  is  supposed  to  be  asleep; 
and,  while  they  uncover  him,  facsimile  and  Jack  exchange  places  as 
before.  Jack  wakens  slowly.  All  on  stage  sing  some  lively  song  in 
chorus.    Jack  appears  bewildered^ 

Jack.    The  fairies  here  /    Why,  where  am  I  ?    What !  can  this  be  a 
dream  f 
Is  my  name  Jack.?  or —    Who  am  I  ?     How  funny  things  do  seem ! 
There's  just  one  thing  that  I  cb  know,  and  that  is,  I  have  been 
A  good-for-nothing  vagabond  — 

Fairy  Queen.    Jack,  is  that  what you^ve  seen  ? 

Jack  {trembles).     Good-morning,  ma'am !    Hope  you  are  well.     I'm 
glad  you've  come  again. 
I  did  my  level  best  to  kill  that  beggar  in  his  den. 

Fairy  Queen.     You  know  me,  then  ? 

Jack.    Should  think  I  did !    Yes,  ma'am,  we  met  last  night : 
You  said  that  what  was  in  my  heart  must  die  before  daylight. 
We  did  it,  ma'am,  —  his  wife  and  I.     Yes,  ma'am,  he's  very  dead. 
He  tumbled  down  the  bean-stalk,  ma'am,  and  landed  on  his  head. 
O  ma'am  {kneels  to  Fairy  Queen),  I'm  much  obliged  to  you;  and  you 

shall  never  rue  it. 
For  telling  me  what  I  must  do,  and  helping  me  to  do  it. 

Fairy  Queen.    Rise,  Jack.    I  knew  you'd  faithful  prove,  if  you  could 
only  see 
How  great  a  tyrant  sin  becomes  when  it  gains  mastery. 
'Tis  better  far  to  crush  it  out  while  it  is  weak  and  small, 
But  better,  Jack,  as  you  have  done,  than  never  done  at  all. 


14^  CHARADES  AND  PROVERBS  IN  ACTION. 

Mother  {awakes).    O  Jack,  my  idle,  foolish  boy,  we've  not  a  bitXa  eat\ 
Your  poor  old  mother  now  must  starve,  or  beg  out  in  the  street. 
Jack  {embraces  her).     No,  never,  mother,  —  oh,  no,  no  /    I've  seen  my 
wicked  ways. 
I'll  work  and  comfort  you,  my  mother,  yes,  yes,  all  your  days. 
See  these  kind  fairies  —    {Points  to  fairies.) 
Fairy  Queen.     Friends,  dear  Jack. 
Jack.    They  showed  me,  mother  dear, 
Jdst  what  I  was,  and  helped  me  fight  my  pathway  free  and  clear. 

{Enter  Wife.) 
And  here  is  one  whose  courage  filled  with  good  thoughts  my  bad  heart. 
{Takes  her  hand.) 

{Enter  Butcher.) 

Fairy   Queen.     And  here,  too,   is   another,  Jack.    As  friend  he 

played  a  part : 
I  sent  him  in  disguise  to  you,  that  he  might  be  the  means 
Of  opening  your  blind,  selfish  eyes  by  trading  with  his  beans. 
Butcher.    That's  jes  so,  stranger.    Where  abaout  do  yer  think  yer'd 

be  naow, 
If  yer  hadn't  swopped  my  precious  beans  for  that  ere  darned  old  caow  ? 
/  knowed  jes  what  a  fool  you  was.     You  thought  I  lied  to  you. 
'Twan't  no  use  wastin'  gold,  you  see,  when  them  'ere  beans  would  do. 
But  truth  I  told ytr,  Jack,  my  boy:  not  all  of  Injy's  mines 
Could  fetch  yer  half  the  precious  wealth  that  in  yer  heart  now  shines. 

Mother.     If  Idleness  indeed  is  dead,  fair  Industry  will  come, 
And  make  our  wretched  hovel  there  a  peaceful,  happy  home. 

Jack.    Yes,  mother,  faithfully  I'll  work  to  make  up  —  oh,  lost  time! 
But  do  you  think  those  little  ones  {points  to  audience)  like  "  Jack's  Bean 

stalk  in  y?^jw<?.?'* 
I  wish  I  dared  say  just  one  word  to  every  little  child. 
Shall  I?    {To audience)    May  I  ?    I  think  I  will  {nods  inquiringly).    Yes, 

that  chap  {points  to  some  one  in  audience)  winked  at  me,  and  smiled. 
You  grown-up  folks  there  must  not  hear,  —  of  course  not,  you  don't 

need  it : 
'Tis  only  for  the  little  ones,  and  they,  I  know,  will  heed  it. 
If  any  of  you  children  here  have  just  one  idle  way 
That  you  encourage  in  your  heart,  a  little  more  each  day, 
Don^t  wait  till  it  becomes  a  giant,  like  poor,  lazy  Jack, 
But  go  to  work  this  very  day,  —  yes,  now,  —  and  break  its  back. 


jACiC  AI\/D   THE  BEAN-STALlt.  143 

There's  work  for  every  little  hand,  for  every  little  heart ; 
And  every  little  child  that's  here  must  do  its  little  part. 
It  may  be  difficult  at  first;  but  this,  like  every  other 
Hard  task,  will  bring  you  blessings,  if  you  really  love  your  —  mother. 
And  should  old  Idleness  e'er  come  to  you,  donH  let  him  talk, 
But  send  for  these  {points  to  all  on  stage),  who  helped  poor  Jack,  — 
All.    And  don^t  forget  the  stalk.    (All  dance  and  sing.) 

{Slow  curtain.) 


t44  HALLOWEkN  AND  OTNMR  AMUSMMMnTS. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

HALLOWEEN  AND  OTHER  AMUSEMENTS. 
SNAPDRAGON. 

Though  Halloween  is  really  an  English  possession,  it  is 
kept  more  and  more  by  those  who  prefer  old  frolics  to  new ; 
and  in  many  Southern  families  there  is  a  great  bowl,  used 
for  snapdragon  or  the  christening  punch,  but  never  on  any 
less  solemn  occasion.  The  dragon  is  found  in  half  a  pint  of 
brandy  or  alcohol ;  the  "  snap,"  in  candied  fruit,  figs,  raisins, 
sugared  almonds,  which  are  thrown  in  after  the  spirit  has 
been  lighted.  Though  there  is  a  big  bowl  full  of  blaze,  a 
bit  of  fruit  can  be  caught  out  without  scorching  the  fingers, 
provided  the  snap  is  sudden  enough ;  and  the  one  who 
secures  the  most  desirable  piece  will  meet  her  true  love 
within  the  year. 

NUT    BURNING. 

Chestnuts  are  generally  chosen,  and  named,  either  in  pairs, 
which  are  put  side  by  side  before  the  fire,  or  in  threes,  with 
the  names  of  possible  lovers.  If,  in  the  last  case,  the  nuts 
fly  about  wildly,  there  is  no  dependence  to  be  placed  on  their 
truth  or  faithfulness.  If  the  pair  burn  steadily  and  quietly, 
the  courtship  will  be  happy,  and  the  marriage  prosperous. 
Burns  tells  the  story  in  his  "  All-halloween." 

"  The  auld  guidwife's  weel-hoarded  nits 
Are  round  an'  round  divided. 
An'  monie  lads'  an'  lasses'  fates 
Are  there  that  night  decided : 


MELTING  LEAD,  1 45 

Some  kindle  couthie,  side  by  side, 

An'  burn  thegither  trimly ; 
Some  start  awa'  wi'  saucy  pride, 

An'  jump  out  owre  the  chimlie, 
Fu'  high  that  night." 


DIVING   FOR   APPLES. 

This  is  a  rather  rough  part  of  the  evening's  games,  but 
boys  find  it  very  much  to  their  minds.  Apples  are  thrown 
into  a  tub  partly  filled  with  water,  and  whoever  can  bring 
one  up  in  the  mouth  secures  good  luck  for  the  year  to  come. 
Another  method  is  to  hang  the  apple  by  a  string  just  on  a 
level  with  the  mouth,  tie  the  hands  behind  one,  and  then 
try  to  bite  the  swinging  fruit.  There  is  small  doubt  about 
the  good  luck  of  whoever  succeeds,  for  it  requires  persever- 
ance enough  to  insure  success  in  any  thing. 

THE   WEDDING-RING   TEST. 

Each  wedding-ring  is  held  by  a  hair  in  the  centre  of  a 
glass  tumbler.  Soon  it  will  begin  to  swing,  till  finally  it 
rings  against  the  side  of  the  glass ;  the  loudest  chime  being 
the  signal  of  the  best  fortune  for  the  holder. 

THE   NEEDLE   TEST. 

A  dozen  or  more  needles  are  thrown  into  a  bowl  of  water, 
and  names  are  given  them.  They  float  about,  sometime^ 
point  to  point,  sometimes  closely  side  by  side,  and  now  and 
then  one  sinks  suddenly.  The  pair  which  float  longest  side 
by  side  are  true  lovers,  and  will  not  be  divided. 

MELTING   LEAD. 

In  this  case  the  lead  is  melted,  and  poured  into  cold  water ; 
the  shapes  it  takes  indicating  what  the  profession  of  the 


146  HALLOWEEN  AND   OTHER  AMUSEMENTS. 

lover  will  be.  In  "We  Girls"  it  was  all  prophetic,  —  "spears 
and  masts  and  stars  ;  and  some  all  went  to  money ;  and  one 
was  a  queer  little  bottle  and  pills ;  and  one  was  pencils  and 
artist's  tubes,  and  —  really  —  a  little  palette  with  a  hole  in 
it." 

THE   LOOKING-GLASS   TEST. 

Two  ways  of  trying  this  form  have  been  followed,  and 
either  is  equally  uncomfortable.  In  the  first,  the  seeker 
carries  a  small  looking-glass,  and  walks  backward  from  the 
house  to  the  middle  of  a  cornfield,  saying  a  rhyme  in  which 
the  word  "moon"  or  "stars"  may  be  used,  according  as 
there  is  moonlight  or  starlight. 

"  Round  and  round,  O  stars  so  fair ! 
Ye  travel  and  search  out  everywhere. 
I  pray  you,  sweet  stars,  now  show  to  me 
This  night  who  my  future  husband  shall  be." 

In  the  second  case,  the  maiden  must  take  a  candle  and  go 
alone  to  a  looking-glass  in  an  empty  room.  There  she  eats 
an  apple,  standing  before  it ;  and  at  the  end,  the  face  of  the 
future  husband  will  look  over  the  shoulder.  It  is  needless 
to  say  that  no  better  opportunity  could  be  given  to  an  enter- 
prising and  daring  lover  than  this  affords  ;  and  it  is  also 
needless  to  add,  that  all  these  games,  while  interesting  as 
curious  old  customs  followed  ever  since  the  days  of  the 
Druids  (and  some  of  them  practised  hundreds  of  years 
before  that  era),  are  most  of  them  of  a  rather  rude  type. 
There  are  many  not  given  here,  many  of  which  are  described 
in  Burns's  "  All-halloween."  Such  games  usually  end  with 
a  supper,  and  sometimes  a  dance,  and  have  their  real  place 
in  an  old-fashioned  country-house. 


LITERARY  ENIGMAS, 


i47 


LITERARY   ENIGMAS. 

These  enigmas  are  to  be  given  out  one  by  one,  either  in 

a  small  company  or  a  home  game  ;  the  answer  to  each  being 
the  name  of  some  well-known  English  or  American  author. 

What  a  rough  man  says  to  his  son  when  he  wishes 

him  to  eat  his  food  properly.  Chaucer. 

A  lion's  house  dug  in  the  side  of  a  hill  where  there  is 

no  water.  Dryden. 

A  good  many  pilgrims  and  flatterers  have  knelt  low  to 

kiss  him.  PoPE. 

Makes  and  mends  for  first-class  customers.  Taylor. 

Represents  the  dwellings  of  civilized  countries.  Holmes. 

Is  a  kind  of  linen.  Holland. 

Can  be  worn  on  the  head.  Hood. 

One  name  that  means  such  fiery  things 

I  can't  describe  their  pains  and  stings.  Burns. 

Belongs  to  a  monastery.  Prior. 

Not  one  of  the  four  points  of  the  compass,  but  inclin- 
ing towards  one  of  them.  SOUTHEY. 

Is  what  an  oyster-heap  is  apt  to  be.  Shelley. 

Is  any  chain  of  hills  containing  a  certain  dark  treasure.  Coleridge. 

Always  youthful,  you  see  ; 

But  between  you  and  me 

He  never  was  much  of  a  chicken.  Young. 

An  American  manufacturing  town.  Lowell. 

Humpbacked,  but  not  deformed.  Campbell. 

Is  an  internal  pain.  Akenside. 

The  value  of  a  word.  Wordsworth. 

A  ten-footer  whose  name  begins  with  fifty.  Longfellow. 

Brighter  and  smarter  than  the  other  one.  Whittier. 


143 


HALLOWEEN  A/^D  OTHER  AMUSEMENTS. 


A  worker  in  the  precious  metals. 

A  very  vital  part  of  the  body. 

A  lady's  garment. 

Small  talk,  and  heavy  weight. 

A  prefix,  and  a  disease. 

Comes  from  an  unlearned  pig. 

A  disagreeable  fellow  to  have  on  one's  foot. 

A  sick  place  of  worship. 

A  mean  dog  'tis. 

An  official  dreaded  by  the  students  of  English 

universities. 

His  middle  name  is  suggestive  of  an 

Indian  or  a  Hottentot.  Walter 

A  manufactured  metal. 

A  game,  and  a  male  of  the  human  species. 

An  answer  to,  Which  is  the  greater  poet, — William 
Shakspeare,  or  Martin  F.  Tupper? 

Meat,  what  are  you  doing  ? 

Is  very  fast  indeed. 

A  barrier  built  of  an  edible. 

To  agitate  a  weapon. 

Red  as  an  apple,  black  as  the  night, 
A  heavenly  sign,  or  a  perfect  fright 

A  domestic  worker. 

A  slang  exclamation. 

Pack  away  closely,  never  scatter, 
And  doing  so  you'll  soon  get  at  her. 

A  young  domestic  animal. 

One  who  is  more  than  a  sandy  shore. 


Goldsmith 

Hart. 

Spenser. 

Chatterton. 

De  Quincey. 

Bacon. 

BUNYAN. 

Churchill. 
Curtis. 

Proctor. 

Savage  Landor. 

Steele. 

Tennyson. 

Willis. 

Browning. 

Swift. 

Cornwall. 

Shakspeare. 

Crabbe. 

Butler. 

Dickens. 

Stowe. 

Lamb. 

Beech er 


LITERARY  ENIGMAS. 


149 


A  fraction  in  American  currency,  and  the  prevailing 

fashion.  Milton. 

Mamma  is  in  perfect  health,  my  child, 

And  thus  he  named  a  poet  mild.  Motherwell. 

A  girl's  name,  and  a  male  relation.  Emerson. 

Take  a  heavy  field-gun,  nothing  loath, 

And  in  a  trice  you'll  find  them  both.  HowiTTS,  SIR. 

Put  an  edible  grain  'twixt  an  ant  and  a  bee, 

And  a  much  beloved  poet  you'll  speedily  see.  Bryant 

A  common  domestic  animal,  and  what  she  cannot  do.  Cowper 

Each  human  head,  in  time,  'tis  said, 

Will  turn  to  him,  though  he  is  dead.  Gray. 

Found  in  the  kitchen.  Cooke. 

The  witches'  salutation  to  Macbeth.  Hale. 

Grows  upon  a  marshy  bank.  Reade. 

Leads  a  religious  order.  Abbott. 

The  reigning  monarch  of  the  South.  Cotton. 

An  obstinate  animal,  and  a  protection  against  burglars.  Muloch. 

The  delight  of  an  Englishman's  heart.  Hunt. 

Never  melancholy.  Gay, 

Oliver  Twist's  importunate  demand.  More. 

or 

Reminds  one  of  Othello.  Moore. 

What  a  good  man  did  in  his  trouble.  Praed. 

A  silvery  stream  in  a  sylvan  dell, 

Where  golden  treasures  often  dwell.  Brooke. 

I  do  it  for  information, 

I  do  it  for  recreation, 

It  can  music  awaken. 

But  is  easily  shaken.  Reads 


I50  HALLOWEEN  AND   OTHER  AMUSEMENTS. 

Thousands  by  me  have  met  their  death ; 

All  Nature  withers  at  my  breath.  Frost 

The  knights  of  old  my  protection  sought 

When  in  battle  or  tourney  they  gallantly  fought  Shields. 


Part  Second. 
OUTDOOR    GAMES, 


CHAPTER  I. 

LAWN  TENNIS  AND  ITS  LAWS. 

This  deservedly  popular  game  is  not  of  mushroom  growth, 
but  is  rather  antiquated  ;  as  it  can  be  traced  to  the  introduc- 
tion of  tennis  into  England,  by  certain  "  persons  of  superior 
rank,"  in  the  sixth  year  of  the  reign  of  Henry  III.,  or  about 
1222,  as  an  amusement  well  befitting  the  tastes  and  inclina- 
tions of  the  nobility,  in  the  performance  of  which  they  could 
exercise  a  commendable  zeal,  as  also  their  whole  physique. 
Tennis  undoubtedly  came  from  France,  where  it  had  been 
played  many  years  prior  to  its  introduction  among  the 
worthy  sports  of  our  English  ancestry.  There  are  not  a 
few,  however,  who  most  tenaciously  hold,  that,  in  some 
modified  form,  it  existed  among  the  sports  of  Rome  as  far 
back  as  the  time  of  Nero.  The  name  is  in  all  probability  a 
derivative  from  Tennois,  a  place  in  France,  in  the  district  of 
Champagne,  which,  by  a  perversion  of  the  first  letter,  is  now 
written  Sennois,  where  balls  were  manufactured,  and,  it  is 
claimed,  the  game  first  introduced. 

As  played  in  that  ancient  day,  ornamental  and  in  some 
cases  very  elaborate  and  expensive  courts  were  constructed, 
usually  96  or  97  feet  long  by  33  or  34  feet  wide,  provided 

151 


152  LAWN  TENNIS  AND  ITS  LAWS. 

with  a  net  hung  across  the  middle,  parallel  to  the  shorter 
sides  of  the  parallelogram,  over  which  the  ball  must  be 
struck  to  make  any  stroke  good.  This  net  divided  the 
court  into  two  sides,  known  respectively  as  the  service  side 
and  hazard  side.  There  were  some  marked  features  of  this 
game,  from  which  the  play  as  we  at  present  have  it  has  been 
a  severe  divergence. 

The  essentials  to  a  thorough  enjoyment  of  this  game  are 
not  so  many,  but  the  few  should  be  carefully  selected. 

Those  who  share  in  the  game  should  possess  themselves 
with  a  large  stock  of  good  nature  and  untiring  zeal.  Nothing 
so  effectually  mars  the  pleasure  of  an  afternoon's  sport  as  a 
momentary  burst  of  ill-directed  temper.  Disappointments 
and  failures  should  work  a  renewed  determination  to  excel, 
rather  than  lead  to  sulks  and  disheartenment.  The  latter 
unfortunate  disposition  in  one  is  sure  to  mar  the  enjoyment 
for  the  remaining  associates. 

A  lawn,  as  is  indicated  by  the  name,  is  the  first  essential 
to  pleasurable  play.  This  should  have  its  grass  well 
clipped,  and  the  turf  evenly  rolled.  The  courts  should  be 
laid  off  rectangularly,  as  indicated  in  the  diagram.  Experi- 
ence has  taught  that  it  is  best  to  get  up  the  game  with  a 
reference  to  the  direction  of  the  wind,  the  net  (A  B,  see 
diagram,  p.  153)  being  set  at  right  angles  to  it.  Thus  will 
be  avoided  in  great  measure  the  tendency  of  the  air-currents 
to  carry  the  balls  off  or  beyond  the  bounds,  and  the  play 
will  be  then  against  or  with  the  wind.  In  either  case,  its 
influence  can  be  more  accurately  calculated. 

The  lines  of  boundary  and  division  should  be  indicated 
upon  the  greensward  by  means  of  whitewash  carefully  laid 
on  with  brush  and  string.  The  larger  or  double-handed 
court  should  be  78  feet  long  by  a  width  of  36  feet  inside 
measurement ;  and  the  smaller  or  single-handed  court,  78  by 


LAWN  TENNIS  AND  ITS  LAWS. 


53 


27  feet  inside  measurement.  As  in  the  old  game  of  tennis, 
so  in  this,  the  court  is  divided  across  the  middle,  and  at  right 
angles  to  its  greatest  length,  by  a  net  (A  B)  so  stretched 
and  fastened  to  and  by  two  posts  (A  and  B)  standing  3  feet 
outside  of  the  side-lines  F  H  and  G  J,  that  the  height  of  the 
net  at  each  post  for  the 

double-handed  or  larger  f  27ezob  E  36ft.  G 
court  is  4  feet,  and  in 
the  middle,  over  the 
half-court  line  at  C,  3 
feet  6  inches ;  and,  for 
the  single  -  handed  or 
smaller  court,  4  feet  9 
inches  at  the  posts,  and 
3   feet    in    the   middle, 

over  the  half-court  line.    *r    I  1^'  I    -j 

These  divisions  are 
termed  courts,  and  are 
subdivided  into  half- 
courts  by  a  line  (D  E) 
midway  between  the 
side-lines,  and  running 
parallel  with  the  great- 
est length,  which  is 
known  as  the  half-court 
line.     The   four   result-  Fig.  38. 

ing  half-courts  are  re- 
spectively divided  by  a  line  on  each  side  of  the  net  (K  M 
and  N  P)  parallel  to,  and  22  feet  from  it.  These  two  lines, 
called  service-lines,  it  may  be  observed,  will  then  be  17  feet 
inside  of  the  lines  of  boundary  for  the  short  sides  (F  G  and 
H  J)  known  as  base-lines. 
The  implements  comprise  net,  posts,  cordage,  balls,  and 


K5 

k 

fe 

K 

L 

M 

t^ 

u. 

evj 

A>- 

«Vl 

c 

^^ 

"x'^ 
n 

K 

k 

CM 

k. 

s 

CM 

S 

N 

0 

P 

M 

u. 

s 

>« 

D  J 

■Plan  of  Ground. 


154  LAWN  TENNIS  AND   ITS  LAWS. 

rackets.  The  most  substantial  of  these  will  be  found  to  give 
the  greatest  satisfaction.  Any  one  with  a  medium  amount 
of  ingenuity  can  make  a  net,  for  which  a  careful  choice 
should  be  made  of  the  cord,  that  strength,  and  lightness  of 
weight,  may  be  secured,  thus  enabling  a  better  drawing  of 
the  net  to  have  it  taut.  The  posts  will  be  more  rigid,  and 
appear  with  better  grace,  if  turned  without  a  joint  in  their 
middle ;  but  if,  for  convenience  in  packing,  it  is  desirable  to 
have  the  joint,  care  should  be  taken  to  have  it  so  adjusted, 
that  when  set  it  will  be  straight,  and  not,  as  too  many,  alas ! 
are,  with  so  great  a  "  kink  "  as  to  look  more  like  the  hind-leg 
of  a  dog  than  the  thing  of  beauty  it  should  be. 

The  standard  ball  is  hollow,  made  of  India-rubber,  and 
covered  with  white  cloth.  In  size  it  must  be  at  least  2K, 
though  not  more  than  2>^,  inches  in  diameter,  and  of  weight 
not  less  than  1%  or  more  than  2  ounces. 

The  rackets  are  mostly  of  foreign  manufacture,  and  usually 
of  the  style  in  the  diagram.  An  excellent  racket,  however,  is 
now  made  in  Philadelphia,  and  in  use,  with  great  acceptance, 
at  Yale.  They  are  made  with  a  frame  of  elastic  wood,  with 
a  webbing,  nicely  wrought,  of  catgut.  The  individual  player 
exercises  preference  in  this  instrument,  as  no  restriction  is 
imposed  as  to  their  size  or  shape. 

The  players  should  be  divested,  so  far  as  practicable,  of 
such  clothing  as  would  impede  a  free  and  rapid  movement  of 
the  muscles,  especially  those  of  the  limbs.  Greater  security 
of  person,  and  accuracy  of  movement,  will  be  attained  if  the 
feet  be  shod  with  almost  any  of  the  many  devices  for  this 
purpose.  The  shoe  should  be  of  a  pliant  material  (a  soft 
canvas  is  found  substantial),  soled  with  corrugated  rubber 
for  the  ladies,  and  spiked  for  the  gentlemen,  nearly  or 
entirely  without  heel. 

Thus  equipped,  the  game  may  be  begun,  after  the  choice 


LAWN  TENNIS  AND  ITS  LAWS.  1 55 

or  arrangement  of  the  sides.  The  choice  of  sides,  and  the 
right  of  serving  during  the  game,  is  usually  decided  by  toss, 
with  the  proviso,  that,  if  the  winner  of  the  toss  choose  the 
right  to  serve,  the  other  player  shall  have  the  choice  of  sides, 
and  vice  versa. 

There  are  double-handed,  three-handed,  and  four-handed 
games,  each  having  some  variations  peculiar  to  itself. 

In  the  double-handed  game  the  players  should  stand  on 
opposite  sides  of  the  net.  The  player  who  first  delivers  the 
ball  is  called  the  server;  and  the  other,  the  striker-out.  The 
first  game  having  been  played,  these  interchange :  the  server 
becomes  striker-out,  and  the  striker-out  becomes  server ;  and 
so  alternately  in  subsequent  games  of  the  set. 

The  server  usually  announces  the  intention  to  serve  by 
the  interrogatory,  "  Ready .? "  If  answered  affirmatively,  the 
service  is  made  (the  server  standing  with  one  foot  outside 
the  base-line),  and  from  any  part  of  the  base-line  of  the  right 
and  left  courts  alternately,  beginning  with  the  right. 

The  ball  so  served  is  required  to  drop  within  the  service- 
line,  half-court  line,  and  side-line  of  the  court  which  is 
diagonally  opposite  to  that  from  which  it  was  served  (see 
diagram),  where  the  service  from  base-line  D  J  must  fall,  to 
be  a  service,  within  the  lines  A  K,  K  L,  L  C. 

If  the  ball  served  {a)  drops  on  or  beyond  the  service-line, 
or  ip)  if  it  drops  in  the  net,  or  {c)  if  it  drops  out  of  the  court 
or  on  any  of  the  lines  which  bound  it,  or  {d)  if  it  drops  in 
the  wrong  court,  or  (e)  if,  in  attempting  to  serve,  the  server 
fails  to  strike  the  ball,  it  is  a  fault.  A  fault  cannot  be  taken, 
but  the  ball  shall  be  served  a  second  time  from  the  same 
court  from  which  the  fault  was  served. 

Though  the  service  is  made,  if  the  striker-out  is  not  ready, 
the  service  shall  be  repeated,  unless  an  attempt  is  made 
to  return  the  service  on  the  part  of  the  striker-out  \  which 


156  LAWN  TENNIS  AND  ITS  LAWS. 

action  shall  be  construed  to  be  equivalent  to  having  been 
ready.  No  service  is  allowed  to  be  volleyed ;  that  is,  the 
striker-out  is  not  allowed  to  return  a  service  while  the  ball  is 
"on  the  fly,"  or  before  a  bounce.  If  such  a  return  of  service 
is  made,  it  counts  a  stroke  for  the  server. 

To  return  a  service  properly,  and  have  the  ball  in  play, 
the  ball  is  to  be  played  back  over  the  net  or  between  the 
posts  before  it  has  touched  the  ground  a  second  time,  or 
while  on  the  first  bounce,  and  is  subject  to  no  bounds  other 
than  the  side  and  base  lines  of  the  court.  After  the  ball  is 
in  play,  it  may  be  struck  while  "on  the  fly;"  but  policy  would 
dictate  a  bounce  to  determine  whether  or  not  it  has  been 
played  beyond  the  boundaries  of  the  court,  —  A  H,  H  J,  and 
J  B,  for  one  side  of  the  net,  or  A  F,  F  G,  and  G  B,  for  the 
other  side.  Balls  served  or  in  play  may  touch  the  net,  and 
be  a  good  service  or  return.  If  it  touches  the  top  cord,  it  is 
termed  a  let^  a  lifct  or  a  net  ball,  and  need  not  be  played  if 
it  drops  just  inside  the  net  on  the  striker-out  side,  but  must 
be  served  again.  Should  it  fall  on  the  service  side,  or  in 
the  wrong  court  on  the  striker-out  side,  or  out  of  bounds, 
it  counts  a  fault.  If,  however,  it  falls  so  as  to  be  a  good 
return  in  any  stage  of  the  game  other  than  service,  it  must 
be  played  as  a  good  ball. 

In  play  {a)  if  the  striker-out  volleys  the  service,  or  {b)  fails 
to  return  the  service  or  the  ball  in  play,  or  {c)  returns  the 
service  or  the  ball  in  play  so  that  it  drops,  untouched  by  the 
server,  on  or  outside  any  of  the  lines  which  bound  the  court, 
or  {d)  if  the  striker-out  otherwise  loses  a  stroke,  as  we  will 
find  presently  when  we  consider  the  conditions  common  to 
both  server  and  striker-out,  the  server  wins  a  stroke. 

In  the  handling  of  the  racket,  great  dexterity  may  be 
attained  by  careful  study  and  practice.  By  experiment  you 
will   soon   become  adept   in  the  twist-ball,  which  forms  a 


LAtVN  TENNIS  AND  ITS  LAWS.  1 57 

feature  in  this  game  few  utilize  to  a  material  advantage. 
The  uncertainty  of  its  bounces  is  calculated  to  outwit  the 
most  adroit. 

Since,  under  certain  conditions  of  failure  on  the  part  of 
the  striker-out,  the  advantage  in  count  of  a  stroke  inures  to 
the  server,  so,  too,  the  striker-out  reaps  a  harvest  {a)  if  the 
server  serves  two  consecutive  faults,  or  {b)  if  the  server  fails 
to  return  the  ball  in  play,  or  if)  if  the  server  returns  the  ball 
in  play  so  that  it  drops,  untouched  by  the  striker-out,  on 
or  outside  any  of  the  lines  which  bound  the  court,  or  {d)  if 
the  server  loses  a  stroke  under  conditions  common  to  both 
server  and  striker-out ;  in  any  of  which  cases  the  striker-out 
wins  a  stroke. 

There  are  conditions  under  which  each  player  loses  a 
stroke,  as  follows :  viz.,  {a)  if  the  service-ball,  or  ball  in  play, 
touches  the  player,  or  any  thing  worn  or  carried  by  him, 
except  the  racket  in  the  act  of  striking ;  or  {b)  if  the  player 
strikes  or  touches  the  service-ball,  or  ball  in  play,  with  the 
racket  more  than  once ;  or  {c)  if  in  returning  the  service-ball, 
or  ball  in  play,  the  player  touches  the  net  with  any  part  of 
the  body,  or  with  the  racket,  or  with  any  thing  that  is  worn 
or  carried,  or  if  the  ball  touches  either  of  the  posts ;  or  (d) 
if  the  player  strikes  the  ball  before  it  has  passed  the  net ;  or 
{e)  if  the  service-ball,  or  ball  in  play,  drops  or  falls  upon  a  ball 
lying  in  either  of  the  players'  courts.  So  much  for  the  con- 
ditions under  which  the  players,  either  server  or  striker-out, 
win  or  lose  a  stroke.  And  now  let  us  see  if  we  can  find  out 
what  are  the  peculiarities  of  scoring. 

There  are  two  distinct  systems  upon  which  the  record  is 
made,  each  of  which  has  its  adherents.  Both  should  be 
understood ;  and,  the  more  thoroughly  familiarized  the  player 
becomes  with  each,  the  more  at  ease  will  he  be,  under  what- 
ever circumstances  of  count  he  may  be  placed. 


158  LAWN  TENNIS  AND   ITS  LAIVS. 

The  first  plan  is  as  follows  :  the  first  stroke  won  counts 
for  the  player  winning  a  score  of  15  ;  the  second  stroke  won 
by  same  player  counts  for  that  player  an  additional  score  of 
15,  making  a  total  of  30;  the  third  stroke  won  counts  for 
him  an  additional  10,  making  the  score  40.  Unless  there  is 
a  tie  at  40,  the  fourth  stroke  won  by  that  player  entitles 
him  to  score  game. 

If,  however,  both  players  have  won  three  strokes,  the 
score  is  called  deuce^  and  the  next  stroke  won  by  either 
player  is  scored  advantage  for  that  player.  The  term  advan- 
tage simply  means  that  the  player  has  a  tie  and  one  stroke 
advantage.  If  the  same  player  wins  the  next  stroke,  he 
wins  the  game ;  if  he  loses  the  next  stroke,  the  score  is 
again  called  deuce ;  and  so  on  until  at  the  score  of  deuce 
either  player  wins  two  consecutive  strokes,  when  the  game 
is  scored  for  that  player.  Six  games  constitute  a  set ;  and 
the  player  who  first  wins  them  wins  the  set, — unless  in 
case  both  players  win  five  games,  when  the  score  is  called 
games-ally  and  the  next  game  won  by  either  player  is  scored 
advantage-game  for  that  player.  If  the  same  player  wins 
the  next  game,  he  wins  the  set:  if  he  loses  the  next  game, 
the  score  is  again  called  games-all ;  and  so  on  until  at  the 
score  of  games-all  either  player  wins  two  consecutive  games, 
when  he  wins  the  set.  An  exception  to  this  is  where  an 
agreement  is  entered  into  not  to  play  advantage-set,  but  to 
decide  the  set  by  one  game  after  arriving  at  the  score  of 
games-all.  In  this  mode  of  scoring,  both  the  server  and  the 
striker-out  are  entitled  to  count,  while  in  the  alternative 
method  it  is  different. 

An  alternative  method  of  scoring  is  as  follows,  in  which 
the  term  hand-in  is  substituted  for  server,  and  hand-out  for 
striker-out.  In  this  system  the  hand-in  alone  is  able  to  score. 
If  he  loses  a  stroke,  he  becomes  hand-out,  and  his  opponent 


LAIVN  TENNIS  AND   ITS  LAWS.  1 59 

becomes  hand-in^  and  serves  in  his  turn.  Fifteen  points  won 
constitute  the  game. 

If  both  players  have  won  14  points,  the  game  is  set  to  3, 
and  the  score  called  love-all.  The  hand-in  continues  to 
serve,  and  the  player  who  first  scores  3  points  wins  the 
game. 

In  the  three-handed  or  four-handed  games  of  this  mode  of 
scoring,  only  one  partner  of  that  side  which  is  hand-in  shall 
serve  at  the  beginning  of  each  game.  If  he  or  his  partner 
loses  a  stroke,  the  other  side  shall  be  hand-in.  During  the 
remainder  of  the  game,  when  the  first  hand-in  has  been  put 
out,  his  partner  shall  serve,  beginning  from  the  court  from 
which  the  last  service  was  not  delivered ;  and,  when  both 
partners  have  been  put  out,  then  the  other  side  shall  be 
hand-in. 

The  hand-in  shall  deliver  the  service  in  accordance  with 
the  restrictions  mentioned  for  the  server;  and  the  opponents 
shall  receive  the  service  alternately,  each  keeping  the  court 
which  he  originally  occupied.  In  all  subsequent  strokes  the 
ball  may  be  returned  by  either  partner  on  each  side.  The 
privilege  of  being  hand-in  two  or  more  successive  times  may 
be  given. 

What  has  been  said  of  double-handed  games  applies 
equally  well  to  the  three-handed  and  four-handed  games, 
except  {a)  in  the  three-handed  game  the  single  player  shall 
serve  in  every  alternate  game,  {b)  in  the  four-handed  game 
the  pair  who  have  the  right  to  serve  in  the  first  game  may 
decide  which  partner  shall  do  so,  and  the  opposing  pair  may 
decide  similarly  for  the  second  game.  The  partner  of  the 
player  who  served  in  the  first  game  shall  serve  in  the  third, 
and  the  partner  of  the  player  who  served  in  the  second  game 
shall  serve  in  the  fourth,  and  so  on,  in  the  same  order,  in  all 
the  subsequent  games  of  a  set  or  series  of  sets,     if)  The 


l60  LAWN   TENNIS  AND   ITS  LAWS. 

players  shall  take  the  service  alternately  throughout  each 
game  ;  no  player  shall  receive  or  return  a  service  delivered 
to  his  partner;  and  the  order  of  service  and  striking-out, 
once  arranged,  shall  not  be  altered,  nor  shall  the  strikers- 
out  change  courts  to  receive  the  service  before  the  end  of 
the  set. 

The  players  change  sides  at  the  end  of  every  set.  When 
a  series  of  sets  is  played,  the  player  who  was  server  in  the 
last  game  of  one  set  shall  be  striker-out  in  the  first  game  of 
the  next. 

Experience  at  play  works  so  greatly  to  the  advantage  of  a 
player,  various  modes  of  equalizing  the  parties  are  in  vogue 
where  those  of  much  less  experience  become  participants. 
Allowances  for  this  purpose  are  termed  odds. 

A  bisque  is  one  stroke,  which  may  be  claimed  by  the 
receiver  of  the  odds  at  any  time  during  a  set,  except  {a)  a 
bisque  may  not  be  taken  after  the  service  has  been  delivered, 
(b)  the  server  may  not  take  a  bisque  after  a  fault,  but  the 
striker-out  may  do  so.  One  or  more  bisques  may  be  given 
in  augmentation  or  diminution  of  other  odds. 

Half-fifteen  is  one  stroke  given  at  the  beginning  of  the 
second  and  every  subsequent  alternate  game  of  a  set. 

Fifteen  is  one  stroke  given  at  the  beginning  of  every  game 
of  a  set. 

Half -thirty  is  one  stroke  given  at  the  beginning  of  the 
first  game,  two  strokes  at  the  beginning  of  the  second  game, 
and  so  on  alternately  in  all  the  subsequent  games  of  a  set. 

Thirty  is  two  strokes  given  at  the  beginning  of  every 
game  of  a  set. 

Halfforty  is  two  strokes  given  at  the  beginning  of  the 
first  game,  three  strokes  at  the  beginning  of  the  second,  and 
so  on  alternately  in  all  the  subsequent  games  of  a  set. 

Forty  is  three  strokes  given  at  the  beginning  of  every 
game  of  a  set. 


THE  ART  AND  SKILL   OF  LAWN  TENNIS.  l6l 

Half-court.  The  players  having  agreed  into  which  court 
the  giver  of  the  odds  of  half-court  shall  play,  the  latter  loses 
a  stroke  if  the  ball  returned  by  him  drops  outside  any  of  the 
lines  which  bound  that  court. 

Still  another  device  is  to  stretch  a  cord  between  the  posts, 
at  a  height  of  seven  feet  or  any  other  agreed  height ;  and 
the  giver  of  odds  shall  play  every  ball  over  the  cord,  or  lose 
a  stroke. 

If  the  game  is  to  be  umpired,  there  should  be  one  for  each 
side  of  the  net,  who  shall  call  "  Play  "  at  the  beginning  of  a 
game,  enforce  the  rules,  and  be  sole  judge  of  fair  and  unfair 
play,  each  on  his  respective  side  of  the  net. 

It  has  been  usual  to  discountenance  every  thing  like  a 
wager  in  the  game  of  lawn  tennis ;  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that 
it  will  be  a  long  time  before  any  such  practice  shall  attach 
to  this  pastime,  at  least  in  such  measure  as  to  mar  it. 

The  former  side  nets  or  wings  were  found  an  obstruction, 
and  have  accordingly  been  dispensed  with  in  the  game  as  at 
present  arranged. 

The  exercise  required  to  enjoy  the  game  should  not  and 
need  not  be  in  any  way  of  an  exhausting  nature,  and  affords 
a  training  in  graceful  and  charming  movements.  If  the 
ground  be  dry,  this  recreation  may  be  continued  far  into 
the  winter,  and  will  be  found  quite  pleasurable. 


THE  ART  AND   SKILL  OF   LAWN   TENNIS. 

BY  A  MEMBER  OF  PRINCE'S  CLUB,  LONDON. 

Lawn  tennis,  when  it  was  first  introduced,  was  a  mere  pas- 
time, involving  little  more  skill  than  battledoor  and  shuttle- 
cock. None  of  the  science  exhibited  in  cricket,  croquet,  or 
billiards,  was  required.     The  game  has,  however,  progressed 


1 62  lAPVA'  TEI^ms  AISTD  ITS  LAtVS. 

rapidly.  Every  succeeding  tournament  at  Wimbledon  has 
witnessed  the  introduction  of  some  new  play,  until  the 
game  promises  to  become  more  scientific  than  any  of  its 
predecessors.  The  previous  chapter,  taken  from  "  Harper's 
Bazar,"  No.  44,  vol.  xiii.,  contains  a  full  description  of  the 
rules  and  details  of  the  game  and  a  drawing  of  the  court. 
Some  slight  alterations  have  been  made  in  the  service-courts 
and  in  the  rules,  to  which  we  shall  refer ;  but  in  all  other 
points  the  description  there  given  holds  good.  It  is  now 
proposed  to  supplement  our  former  article  by  some  practi- 
cal observations  on  the  science  and  skill  of  the  game  as  now 
played;  the  object  being  twofold, — first,  to  assist  begin- 
ners to  adopt  the  best  form  and  style ;  and,  second,  to  enable 
our  readers  to  thoroughly  appreciate  the  beauty  of  the  game 
when  they  participate  in  it  as  spectators  only. 

Holding  the  Racket.  —  For  ordinary  play,  the  racket 
should  be  held  short,  in  fact,  close  up  to  the  body.  It 
should  be  grasped  vigorously ;  the  muscles  of  the  wrist  and 
fingers  being  firm,  not  limp.  Many  a  miss  is  made  from 
this  cause.  For  instance,  when  taking  a  volley,  or  swift 
ball,  the  racket  is  knocked  back  in  the  hand,  or  partially 
turned,  the  ball  expends  its  force  without  rebound,  and  the 
force  of  the  stroke  is  lost,  causing  the  ball  to  drop  into 
the  net.  With  a  firm  grip,  much  less  force  need  be  put 
into  the  blow  from  the  shoulder. 

The  Serve.  —  There  are  three  serves,  —  the  high  serve, 
the  overhand  serve,  and  the  underhand  serve.  The  high 
serve  is  made  at  the  full  stretch  of  the  arm  over  the  head. 
Sometimes  the  ball  is  thrown  up,  and  struck  as  it  descends. 
The  difficulty  in  that  case  is  to  throw  it  up  perpendicularly. 
Beginners  who  want  to  adopt  this  play  should  practise  toss- 
ing the  ball  up  until  they  can  do  so  with  perfect  accuracy. 
It  should  fall  in  a  line  with  the  striker's  right  arm.     The 


Ttik  Akt  AND  SKILL   OP  LAWN  TENNIS.  1 63 

overhand  serve  is  made  with  the  racket  held  above  the 
wrist.  The  ball  is  held  in  the  left  hand,  about  level  with 
the  shoulder,  and  dropped  on  to  the  face  of  the  racket  in  the 
act  ot  striking.  If  the  ball  be  struck  with  the  racket 
slanted  to  about  thirty  degrees,  and  very  hard,  it  will  give 
two  motions  to  the  ball,  —  a  forward  movement  and  a  rota- 
tory motion,  thus :  — 


Fig.  39. 


This  is  called  putting  cut  on  the  ball,  and  is  a  very  puzzling 
play  to  a  beginner.  The  ball,  on  falling,  will  rise  abruptly, 
instead  of  following  the  normal  angle.  (See  line  a  a  a,  Fig. 
39,  representing  a  cut  service.)  The  overhand  service,  if 
served  with  the  racket  face  perpendicular,  or  nearly  so,  im- 
parts a  twist  to  the  ball ;  so  that  as  it  pitches  it  will  twist 
away  to  the  adversary's  right  hand.  (See  Fig.  40.  Line  aaa 
represents  an  overhand  serve.)  An  underhand  serve  is  played 
by  turning  the  body  of  the  racket  downward.  Some  players 
stoop,  and  serve  as  near  the  ground  as  they  can.  If  this 
stroke  be  neatly  played,  it  will  give  a  left-hand  twist  to  the 
ball.     (See  Fig.  40,  line  <^  /^  ^.) 

The  server  mav  stand  an v where  on  the  base-line.  If  he 
serves  from  K  (see  Fig.  40),  he  can  send  an  oblique  ball  with 
an  outward  twist  —  very  difficult  to  return;  if  from  /  (see 
Fig.  40),  the  line  will  be  more  longitudinal  to  the  court ;  but 
fwift  serves  are  safer  from  this  point,  as  less  likely  to  pitch 


i64 


LAPVN  TENNIS  AND  ITS  LAWS. 


W  Bxss.nvn 


THE  ART  AND  SKILL   OF  LAWN  TENNIS.  1 65 

out  of  court.  Some  players,  however,  prefer  K.  In  Fig.  40 
the  footmarks  denote  the  position  of  players'  feet  when 
serving  or  taking. 

The  Take  and  the  Return. — When  a  ball  is  served, 
the  striker-out  should  stand  in  the  opposite  corresponding 
court.  If  the  serves  are  slow,  B  and  G  (Fig.  40)  are  the 
places;  if  swift,  /^and  H.  It  requires  great  skill  to  judge 
where  a  ball  will  pitch,  and  how  it  will  bound  :  nothing  but 
practice  will  give  it.  It  is  a  subtle  sense  of  twist  and 
momentum,  which  cannot  be  explained.  Watch  for  an  over- 
hand or  underhand  serve,  and  proceed  accordingly.  If  an 
overhand  twist,  it  will  be  to  your  right ;  an  underhand,  to 
your  left.  When  taking  a  ball,  recollect  that  the  right 
moment  to  do  so  is  when  it  has  pitched,  bounded,  and,  hav- 
ing exhausted  its  momentum,  is  about  to  fall,  thus  :  — 


Fig.  41. 

The  ball  will  leave  the  racket  at  an  angle  equal  to  that  of  the 
incidence ;  so  that,  instead  of  returning  close  to  the  net,  you 
will  lob  the  ball  up  in  the  air.  If  you  take  at  the  point  r, 
the  ball,  having  lost  its  momentum,  will  follow  exactly  the 
line  of  your  stroke,  c  D. 

In  order  to  take  the  ball  well,  you  should  be  abreast  of  it : 
it  should  be  between  you  and  the  side-liue  of  the  court,  at  a 
right  angle.  Then,  with  the  left  foot  forward,  and  the  right 
foot  back,  swing  the  shoulder  well  round,  taking  plenty  of 
time  to  the  stroke.     More  mistakes  are  made  by  being  too 


1 66  LAWN  TENNIS  AND  ITS  LAWS, 

soon  than  too  late.  In  fact,  whenever  you  can,  let  your 
racket  hover  (be  it  only  the  millionth  part  of  a  second)  be- 
fore you  strike.  There  will  then  be  no  force  in  the  stroke, 
save  that  intended  for  the  ball.  If  you  have  to  run  forward 
for  a  ball,  recollect  to  deduct  the  force  of  the  run  from  the 
force  of  the  stroke :  otherwise  you  will  strike  out  of  court. 
The  blow  you  give  should  be  as  much  as  possible  from  the 
shoulder  ;  and  you  will  find,  if  you  try,  that  you  can  graduate 
the  force  of  a  stroke  so  given  with  much  more  delicacy  than 
that  of  one  from  the  wrist. 

All  the  strokes  played  at  tennis  may  be  resolved  into  the 
following :  — 

1.  The  fore  overhand. 

2.  The  fore  underhand. 

3.  The  high  stroke. 

4.  The  back  overhand. 

5.  The  back  underhand. 

6.  Forward  play,  overhand. 

7.  Forward  play,  underhand. 

8.  Back  stroke. 

I.  The  Fore  Overhand  Stroke.  —  Hold  the  racket  short 
and  firm,  as  in  the  overhand  serve,  and  incline  the  face 
slightly,  about  ten  degrees,  to  the  ball,  as  in  Fig.  42.  This 
will  give  a  slight  twist,  and  tend  to  keep  the  ball  from 
going  beyond  the  base-line,  as  whatever  force  is  given  to  the 
twist  is  deducted  from  the  momentum.  This  is  the  most 
useful  way  of  taking  a  ball,  and  the  other  strokes  should 
only  be  adopted  when  this  cannot  be  employed.  When 
you  see  the  ball  in  the  air,  endeavor  to  place  yourself  so 
that  it  shall  pass  you  about  eighteen  inches  off  to  your  right, 
and  strike  it  as  it  passes  you.  The  racket  should  take  the 
ball  well  in  the  centre  of  the  gut.  If  it  strike  the  wood,  it 
will  most  likely  score  against  you. 


THE  ART  AND  SKILL   OF  LA  WN  TENNIS. 


167 


2.  The  Fore  Underhand  Stroke  is  most  used  for  taking 
half-volleys,  swift  serves,  or  returns.  The  racket  should  be 
held  about  one-third  down  the  handle.  The  longer  the 
racket  is  held,  the  greater  the  leverage  of  the  force  of 
the  ball ;  so  that  more  swing  should  be  given  to  this  stroke. 

3.  The  High  Stroke.  —  This  stroke  is  used  where  the  ball 
passes  over  the  striker's  head.  Hold  the  racket  long,  and 
remember  to  turn  its  face  partly  upward :  if  not,  the  angle 
of  incidence  will  carry  the  ball  into  the  net.  Many  points 
are  lost  in  this  way. 

4.  Back  Overhand.  —  A  difficult  but  useful  stroke,  often 
requisite  in  taking  a  twist.  Place  the  right  foot  forward, 
left  foot  back,  and  hold  the  racket  about  half  handle,  as  in 
Fig-  43. 


FlC    41.  —  FORB  OVERHANP  StrokR. 


Fig,  43. —  Back  Overhand  Strok* 


i68 


LAWN  TENNIS  AND  ITS  LAWS. 


5.  Back  Underhand  Stroke.  —  Posture  of  feet, — right  for- 
ward, left  back.  Hold  the  racket  long.  In  both  these 
strokes  the  body  should  be  slightly  turned  in  the  act  of 
striking,  so  as  to  throw  its  whole 
weight  into  the  blow.  The  difficulty 
is  not  so  much  in  making  them  as 
in  getting  into  the  right  position  in 
time.  For  this  purpose  it  is  well  to 
practise  numbers  4,  5,  6,  7,  and  8; 
getting  some  one  to  serve  or  pitch 
the  ball  to  you,  so  as  to  play  these 
strokes  over  and  over  again  till  they 
can  be  played  perfectly.  By  this 
means  the  player  is  not  clumsy  when 
the  stroke  has  to  be  played  in  the 
game.  As  none  of  these  occur  fre- 
quently in  games,  they  are  not  learned 
by  beginners,  hence  many  a  lost  score. 
6,  7.  Forward  Play y  Overhand  and 
Underhand.  —  These,  also,  are  useful 
strokes  when  a  ball  twists  unexpect- 

FiG.  44.  -Forward  Plav,  Over-    g^Jy  ^-q  ^^C  left,  SO  aS  tO  COme  Straight 

at  the  Striker.  For  the  overhand,  hold 
the  racket  short,  and,  for  the  underhand,  long,  as  in  Fig.  45. 

8.  Back  Stroke.  — This  is  a  very  difficult  stroke,  and  when 
well  played  commands  great  applause.  Sometimes  a  ball 
twists  so  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  that  the  player  has  no 
time  to  change  over  for  a  back-handed  stroke.  In  that  case, 
pass  the  racket  behind  the  back,  and  take  the  ball,  as  in 
Fig.  46. 

Some  players,  instead  of  playing  the  back  stroke  or  back- 
handed, change  the  racket  to  the  left  hand.  Left-handed 
persons  can  do  this  with  advantage. 


THE  ART  AND  SKILL    OF  LAWN  TENNIS. 


169 


After  each  stroke,  the  player  should  get  back  to  the  cen- 
tre  of  his  court,  say  about  two  feet  behind  the  service-line, 
unless  he  finds  his  opponent  driving  swift  returns ;  in  which 
case  he  should  get  back  to  the  base-line. 

Volleys  and  Half-volleys.  —  So  far  we  have  dealt  with 
strokes  which  take  the  ball  on  the  bound.  The  volley  is 
where  it  is  struck  before  the  pitch.  In  volleying,  the  racket 
should  be  held  short,  and  the  most  general  stroke  is  the  for- 
ward play  overhand.  A  movement  of  three  or  four  inches 
with  the  racket  is  enough  ;  because  the  ball,  coming  full  on, 
possesses  its  own  momentum,  which  is  returned  plus  the 
force  of  the  stroke.  The  great  art  in  volleying  is  to  cut  the 
ball  down.  If  you  strike  upward,  it  is  sure  to  go  out  of  court. 
There  are  two  styles  of  volley  play,  —  volleying  at  the  net 


Fig.  45.  — Forward  Plav,  Underhand. 


Fig.  46.  —  Back  Stroki. 


170  LAWN  TENNIS  AND  ITS  LAIVS. 

and  on  the  service-line.  At  the  net  is  the  easiest  and  yet  the 
most  hazardous.  It  is  rarely  adopted  by  good  players  in  two- 
handed  games,  because  the  answer  to  it  is  so  simple.  It  is 
only  to  lob  the  ball  up  over  the  player's  head  ;  in  which  case 
it  is  almost  impossible  for  him  to  get  back  to  it.  If,  how- 
ever, a  cut,  serve,  or  return  is  played  up  wind,  and  seems  to 
hang  and  fall  very  near  the  net,  a  smart  player  may  reach  it, 
while  still  in  the  air,  from  the  service-line,  and  cut  it  down 
into  the  adversary's  court. 

The  best  place  to  cut  such  a  ball  down  is  either  in  a  place 
distant  from  where  the  adversary  is  standing,  or  exactly  at 
his  feet.  No  return  is  so  perplexing  to  play  as  one  that 
comes  dead  on  the  player's  feet.  It  can  be  neither  volleyed 
nor  played,  but  must  be  half-volleyed.  The  half- volley  is 
playing  the  ball  near  the  ground  when  it  is  just  pitching,  or 
has  just  bounded.  It  is  not  improperly  called  the  stroke  o{ 
despair,  and  should  never  be  played  when  any  other  stroke 
is  feasible. 

Volleying  from  the  service-line  is  the  great  art  of  the 
game,  combined  with  placing.  It  returns  the  ball  so  swiftly, 
that  the  adversary  has  no  time  to  pose  himself  for  the  stroke 
If  it  is  out  of  reach  of  the  spot  where  he  happens  to  stand, 
it  is  all  over  with  him.  Most  volleys  at  the  service-lint, 
have  to  be  played  forward  play,  underhand,  as  the  ball  i*- 
beginning  to  drop. 

Placing. — This  is  the  strong  rdle  in  tennis.  It  consists 
in  playing  the  ball  where  the  adversary  cannot  take  it,  or 
tiring  him  out  by  keeping  him  on  the  run  till  he  misses. 
Let  us  explain  this  from  the  non-server  point  of  view.  The 
first  serve  is  always  from  the  right  hand  to  the  opposite- 
right-hand  court.  The  striker-out  takes  it,  and  returns  inta 
the  left  court,  close  to  the  net.  This  gives  the  adversary  a 
quick  run  to  take  it,  and  leaves  him  on  the  left  line  of  the 


THE  ART  AND  SKILL    OF  LAWN   TENNIS.  I /I 

court.  The  non-server  will  then  try  and  drive  the  ball  to 
the  base-line,  close  to  the  right  corner,  and  so  keep  his 
adversary  running  backward  and  forward  till  he  misses. 
The  more  you  give  him  to  do  with  the  difficulty  of  taking 
his  own  balls,  the  less  he  will  be  able  to  think  how  to  puzzle 
you. 

Forward  and  Back  Play.  —  We  shall  have  to  speak 
more  of  this  when  dealing  with  four-handed  games ;  but  for 
single-handed  games,  forward  play,  though  it  appears  more 
brilliant,  and  wins  more  applause,  is  in  reality  more  hazard- 
ous. By  all  ordinary  players,  games  are  more  generally  won 
off  an  opponent's  dekults  than  by  clever  strokes.  Besides, 
long  rallies  are  more  interesting  and  better  exercise  than 
scores  of  one  or  two  strokes  on  either  side.  The  safest  play 
is  well  back,  and  drive  as  near  your  adversary's  base-line  as 
you  can  without  going  out  of  court. 

Four-handed  Games.  —  On  a  reference  to  the  plan  of  the 
court  given  on  p.  164,  the  reader  will  observe  the  dotted  lines. 
These  represent  the  space  added  to  the  court  for  a  four- 
handed  game.  The  serves,  however,  must  be  in  the  courts 
as  laid  for  a  single-handed  game.  The  service-line,  it  may 
be  observed,  has  been  brought  one  foot  nearer  the  net  than 
is  sometimes  done.  This  has  been  done  to  prevent  swift 
high  serving  from  carrying  every  thing  before  it. 

In  four-handed  games  a  great  deal  depends  on  the  skill 
with  which  partners  supplement  one  another's  play.  It  is 
best  for  the  non-serving  partner  to  "  stand  up  "  nearer  the 
net  in  the  other  half  of  the  court,  but  not  too  near,  say, 
about  the  service-line.  In  the  right-hand  half  he  should 
stand  near  the  half-court  line,  and,  in  the  left-hand,  near 
the  left  line,  so  as  to  play  a  four-handed  game  as  much  as 
possible.  He  should  not  try  to  volley  every  ball.  In  fact, 
whenever  a  ball  comes  neatly  over,  pitching  near  the  service- 
line,  he  should  leave  it  to  his  partner  in  the  rear. 


1/2  LAWN   TENNIS  AND   ITS  LAWS. 

When  the  partners  are  strikers-out,  the  position  will 
depend  more  on  the  nature  of  the  serves.  Swift  serves 
bring  swift  returns,  and  tend  to  keep  all  parties  busy  near 
the  base-line.  Slow  serves  provoke  lobs  and  slow  returns, 
and  bring  the  players  nearer  together.  It  is  better  for  one 
player  to  be  forward  and  the  other  back,  as  then  they  do  not 
interfere  with  one  another.  In  such  a  case  it  is  better  for 
the  back  player  to  cry  out  to  his  partner  when  he  sees  he 
can  best  take  a  ball,  as,  "I've  got  it,"  or  "Leave."  The 
back  player  should  always  support  his  partner,  and  be  ready 
to  take  a  ball  missed  by  him,  especially  in  twisting  balls. 
Partners  in  tennis,  as  in  business,  are  one  in  the  eye  of  the 
law.  If  one  touches  the  ball,  the  other  cannot  take  it.  If 
either  strikes  at  a  ball  which  falls  out  of  court,  it  counts 
against  the  side. 

The  two  players  should  divide  the  play  between  them 
somewhat  in  this  fashion :  the  one  standing  up  should 
endeavor  to  puzzle  the  adversaries,  while  the  back  player 
should  give  his  attention  chiefly  to  returning  the  balls. 
Two  inferior  players,  accustomed  to  play  together,  will  often 
beat  superior  opponents  by  the  unity  of  their  action. 
(Memorandum.  —  The  forward  player  should  leave  every 
stroke  his  partner  can  play,  and  should  only  strike  when  he 
sees  he  can  do  so  effectually,  or  when  the  ball  would  not 
reach  his  partner.) 

There  are  one  or  two  questions  constantly  arising  in 
tennis  which  it  may  be  as  well  to  answer  here. 

1.  If  a  ball  touches  the  net  in  passing  over,  and  falls  in 
the  right  side,  does  it  count  "^  Answer.  —  Yes,  except  in  a 
serve.  In  that  case,  it  is  a  ''  let,"  and  is  not  reckoned  as 
a  fault. 

2.  In  a  four-handed  game,  if  one  partner  strikes  at  a  ball 
and  misses  it,  can  his  partner  afterward  take  it  ^  —  Yes,  if 
not  touched.     If  touched,  it  is  a  dead  ball. 


THE  ART  AND  SJCILL   OF  LAWN  TENNIS.  1/3 

J.  May  a  player  volley  a  ball  before  it  has  passed  the  net  ? 
—  He  must  not  touch  the  net :  if  he  does  so,  it  counts 
against  him.     Otherwise  he  may  strike  where  he  likes. 

4.  If  a  ball  falls  out  of  court  at  which  the  player  has 
struck,  but  not  touched,  how  does  it  count  ?  —  It  counts  in 
favor  of  the  player  who  has  missed  it. 

Elegance  of  Play.  —  Natural  grace  is  not  to  be  acquired. 
It  is  born  in  the  individual,  and  cannot  be  learned.  Still, 
grace  may  be  cultivated.  For  a  lady,  the  element  of  clothes 
comes  in,  and  the  less  free  motion  of  the  limbs  limited  by 
the  skirts.  In  traversing  the  court,  try  to  do  so  with  a  swift, 
gliding  step,  rather  than  a  run.  Be  careful  about  the  posi- 
tion of  the  feet,  and  before  striking  throw  the  weight  of  the 
body  on  the  back  foot,  and  in  striking  transfer  it  to  the  for- 
ward foot.  This  will  throw  the  weight  of  the  body  into  the 
stroke.  The  left  hand  may  be  placed  open  on  the  hip.  Do 
not  whirl  or  wave  the  racket  in  play.  The  safest  strokes 
are  those  which  are  made  from  the  shoulder  or  wrist.  It  is 
no  use  attempting  to  play  in  a  dress  tied  tightly  back. 

Slips  and  Falls.  —  The  way  to  avoid  these  is  always  to 
wear  proper  shoes.  To  play  tennis  on  a  nice  lawn  in  heels 
is  an  act  of  sacrilege  for  which  the  player  deserves  any  thing 
he  gets. 

Winter  Tennis.  —  The  game  may  be  played  all  through 
the  winter  under  cover.  The  armories  of  New  York  and 
Brooklyn  and  other  cities  afford  excellent  courts.  A  hard, 
polished  floor  does  not  give  the  same  opportunity  for  twists 
and  serves  as  turf,  and  less  force  should  be  put  into  the 
strokes. 

Wind.  —  In  open-air  play  the  court  should  be  laid  out 
with  the  wind  up  and  down.  As  the  players  change  courts 
every  set,  it  is  fair  to  both.  In  playing  down  wind,  play 
softly,  and  up  wind  play  hard.  Cuts  are  more  easy  down 
wind. 


1^4  lAPVJV  TENNIS  AND  itS  LAtVS. 

Seaside  Tennis.  —  Many  players  at  the  seaside  have  a 
difficulty  in  finding  ground.  They  should  know  that  a  good 
hard  sand  forms  the  very  best  ground.  At  Dinan,  in  Brit- 
tany, much  frequented  by  Americans,  as  many  as  fifteen 
nets  may  be  seen  pitched  on  the  sand  in  an  afternoon. 


ARCHERY  AND   OTHER  GAMES.  I75 


CHAPTER   II. 

ARCHERY  AND  OTHER  GAMES. 

So  much  of  the  pleasure  of  archery  comes  from  competi- 
tion, as  well  as  from  its  social  side,  that  it  is  never  likely  to 
be  a  solitary  amusement.  The  first  instinct,  as  with  lawn 
tennis,  is  to  form  a  club  ;  and,  as  all  clubs  require  certain 
rules,  I  give  at  the  end  of  this  chapter  a  list  which  has  been 
tested  by  long  use,  and  which  covers  the  ground  as  thor- 
oughly as  rules  can.  The  club  may  have  half  a  dozen  mem- 
bers, or  five  times  as  many ;  but  rules  should  be  printed,  and 
strictly  adhered  to,  m  order  that  no  cause  for  dispute  or  ill 
feeling  arise.  A  printed  law  by  which  all  have  agreed  to 
abide  is  much  more  dispassionate  than  personal  judgment ; 
and  even  where  the  umpire  is  an  older  person,  he  or  she 
will  prefer  to  have  their  authority  backed  by  formal  law. 

And  now  as  to  some  of  the  first  principles  of  archery, 
though  only  short  hints  and  directions  can  be  written  here ; 
the  names  of  trustworthy  books  on  the  subject  being  given 
on  p.  412,  the  most  interesting  as  well  as  practical  of  all 
being  Maurice  Thompson's  "The  Witchery  of  Archery," 
which  condenses  in  attractive  form  all  the  information 
needed  by  the  most  ardent  and  persistent  archer. 

To  begin  with,  being  able  to  handle  a  bow  at  all  presup- 
poses a  certain  amount  of  health  and  strength,  which  this 
exercise  soon  increases,  as  a  reasonable  weight  for  a  lady's 
bow  is  from  twenty  to  thirty  pounds.  Bows  made  from  a 
single  piece  of  wood,  and  called  self-bows^  are  best  of  all,  as 


176  ARCHERY  AND   OTHER  GAMES. 

they  are  less  likely  to  break,  or  be  affected  by  moisture  or  ill 
usage.  ''The  grain  fibres  of  the  wood  should  be  parallel 
with  the  bow  longitudinally ;  for,  if  the  grain  is  cut  across  in 
the  making,  the  weapon  is  liable  to  snap  or  shiver  under  the 
first  strain."  A  lady's  bow  should  be  about  five  feet  and  six 
inches  long.  The  strength  of  a  bow  is  measured  in  pounds, 
and  is  found  by  drawing  it  with  a  spring  scale,  and  noting 
the  number  of  pounds  indicated  when  the  string  is  twenty- 
six  inches  from  the  inside  of  the  bow,  which  is  about  the 
"draw"  of  the  twenty-eight  inch  arrow.  The  notch  in  the 
horn  of  the  shorter  limb  of  the  bow  is  called  the  lower  nock, 
and  that  in  the  horn  of  the  longer  limb  the  upper  nock. 
The  English  manuals  call  the  rounded  side  of  the  bow  the 
belly,  and  the  flat  side  the  hack;  but  we  say  simply  the  inner 
side  and  the  outer  side.  The  bow  must  always  be  h^xA^flat 
side  out.  A  cheap  one  is  a  poor  investment,  and  it  is  best 
to  buy  one  as  carefully  made  as  means  will  admit.  The 
slenderer  it  can  be  at  the  handle,  the  better  will  be  its  shoot- 
ing qualities ;  for,  if  it  is  thick,  the  arrow  is  sure  to  incline  to 
the  left,  and  miss  the  mark  on  that  side.  It  should  be  bent 
evenly,  so  as  to  form,  when  strung,  or  braced,  a  part  of  a 
circle,  a  little  flattened  at  the  handle,  the  string  standing  out 
about  six  inches  from  the  inside  of  a  five-foot  bow. 

If  made  in  this  country,  the  most  valuable  woods  are  in 
the  order  named,  —  mulberry,  sassafras,  southern  cedar, 
black  locust,  black  walnut,  and  slippery-elm  ;  but  thus  far 
the  foreign  bows,  made  from  lemon-wood,  lancewood,  yew, 
and  snake-wood,  are  far  the  best.  Robin  Hood  preferred 
yew,  and  his  word  is  to  be  trusted  in  matters  of  archery  if 
nowhere  else. 

The  bow  must  always  be  kept  dry.  "  The  better  it  is,  the 
more  easily  it  is  injured  by  dampness."  Boiled  linseed-oil 
with  a  little  beeswax  in  it,  in  the  proportion  of  two  ounces 


ARCHERY  AND   OTHER   GAMES.  1 77 

of  yellow  wax  to  one  pint  of  oil,  should  be  used  for  rubbing 
it.  A  soft,  thick  woollen  rag  is  best ;  and  it  should  always 
be  rubbed  after  using  it,  and  before  putting  it  away.  Keep 
it  in  a  green  baize  bag  in  a  dry  room,  but  never  near  a  fire. 

The  Bowstring.  —  This  is  made  of  hemp  or  flax,  the 
former  being  considered  best ;  and  the  material  is  waxed 
and  slack-twisted  without  doubling.  The  maker  forms  a 
loop  in  one  end ;  and  "  both  extremities  are  trebled  in  size, 
forming  a  three-cord  for  about  ten  inches,  gradually  taper- 
ing." A  string  with  a  heavy  loop  is  best,  as  it  will  be  found 
easier  to  slip  up  the  bow  in  stringing  it. 

Usually  the  bow  is  properly  strung  when  bought ;  but,  if  it 
is  necessary  to  do  it  yourself,  fasten  as  follows  :  — 

Slip  the  loop  over  the  upper  end  of  the  bow,  and  make  it 
fast  about  two  inches  and  a  half  below  the  nock.  Stretch 
the  string  taut,  and  "  pass  the  loose  end  around  in  the  nock 
of  the  lower  horn  till  it  crosses  itself  in  front  of  the  bow ; 
then  pass  the  end  thus  brought  across  clear  round  under  the 
main  part  of  the  string,  and  back  round  itself  twice,  forming 
a  sort  of  slip-knot  without  really  tying  it  at  all.  Cut  off 
whatever  end  may  then  hang  loose,  and  wrap  the  stump  to 
keep  it  from  fraying."  The  middle  part  of  the  string  must 
be  wrapped  for  some  six  inches  with  waxed  sewing-silk  to 
keep  the  arrow  and  fingers  from  wearing  it  out,  and  the 
whole  cord  should  sometimes  be  waxed.  To  keep  the  upper 
loop  from  slipping  down  when  the  bow  is  not  braced,  many 
archers  draw  a  bit  of  green  ribbon  through  a  small  hole  in 
the  upper  arm,  and  down  through  the  loop,  tying  it  in  a  bow ; 
and  the  bow  may  then  be  carried  in  any  position  of  the 
manual  used  for  parading.  Silk  or  flax  makes  the  best 
home-made  strings,  shoemaker's  thread  twisted  answering 
nicely.  When  a  good  string  begins  to  fray,  wrap  it  with 
heavy  silk  thread  well  waxed.      Extra  strings,  looped  and 


178  ARCHERY  AND   OTHER   GAMES. 

waxed,  should  always  be  carried  to  use  in  case  of  accident, 
and  they  should  always  be  kept  perfectly  dry. 

The  Arrow.  —  Two  varieties  of  arrow  are  made,  —  the  tar 
get  and  the  hunting  arrow ;  but  we  have  to  do  simply  with 
those  for  target  practice.  The  shaft,  or  wooden  part,  of  an 
arrow  is  called  the  "  stele ;  "  and  hard-seasoned  pine  or  old  deal 
is  the  best  wood.  The  steel  head  of  an  arrow  is  called  the 
"  pile ; "  and  in  a  target-shaft  it  is  round,  and  passes  over 
the  end  of  the  stele  like  a  cap  or  thimble.  It  has  a  bevelled 
point.  The  end  of  the  shaft  opposite  the  pile,  there  is  a 
deep  notch,  or  nock,  to  fit  the  bowstring.  Often  in  the  best 
arrows  a  notch  is  cut  in  a  piece  of  horn  set  in  the  stele. 

Feathering  properly  is  next  in  importance  to  a  good  stele. 
Three  feathers  are  necessary ;  and  "  they  must  be  set  on  the 
stele  about  an  inch  and  a  quarter  from  the  nock,  at  an 
angle  with  each  other  of  about  one  hundred  and  twenty 
degrees,  or  the  third  of  a  circle,  and  so  arranged  that  one 
feather  is  at  right  angles  with  the  nock.  This  is  called  the 
cock-feather,  and  is  colored  to  make  it  conspicuous.  It  must 
always  be  next  to  the  thumb  of  the  arrow  hand  in  shooting." 
For  short  range,  accurate  shooting,  the  stele  must  be  heavy, 
and  the  feathers  broad.  Highfield's  arrows  are  the  best, 
but  there  are  horn-pointed  French  arrows  almost  as  good. 

A  shooting-glove  is  made,  especially  to  protect  the  first 
three  fingers  of  the  right  hand.  It  is  formed  from  three 
thimbles  of  stiff  smooth  leather  fastened  to  soft  strips 
attached  to  a  wristband  buttoning  around  the  wrist.  But 
any  close-fitting  glove  is  better,  and  many  use  no  glove  at 
all. 

The  quiver  is  merely  a  round  tin  tube,  closed  at  the  lower 
end,  covered  with  leather,  and  holding  from  three  to  six 
arrows.  It  may  be  made  as  ornamental  as  desired.  Where 
worn  with  a  belt,  it  must  be  well  back  on  the  right  side.     A 


ARCtiERV  AND   OTHER   GAMES.  1 79 

baldric  is  more  picturesque,  and  is  merely  a  broad  strap  worn 
across  the  shoulder,  and  diagonally  across  the  chest.  A 
large  woollen  tassel  may  do  duty  in  wiping  the  arrows  when 
soiled ;  and  a  small  silver  or  ebony  grease-cup  may  also  hang 
from  the  belt,  holding  a  "  composition  of  two  parts  lard  and 
one  part  white  wax  with  which  to  touch  occasionally  the 
string,  the  arrow  at  the  nock,  and  the  finger-tips.  A  bracer 
is  simply  an  arm-guard  of  heavy  leather  with  elastic  bands 
holding  it  to  the  wrist  and  fore-arm ;  but  many  archers  use 
none  at  all. 

The  Target.  —  The  simplest  target  of  all  is  what  old  Eng- 
lish archers  call  a  "clout,"  made  of  stiff  white  pasteboard, 
divided  like  other  targets.  It  should  be  from  six  inches  to 
a  foot  in  diameter,  and  is  merely,  when  used,  slipped  into  a 
cleft  stick  stuck  in  the  ground.  Straw  targets  are  sold,  and 
a  table  is  given  of  their  diameters  and  the  proper  distance 
from  them. 

DIAMETER.  DISTANCE  APART, 

1  foot  ,        .        .        .        .        •  .        .        .15  yards. 

2  feet 20     " 

3  " 40     " 

4  "      .       .       .       .       .       .       .       .       .  50  to  100     " 

Each  target  has  a  gilded  centre  called  the  "gold.'* 
Around  this,  four  rings  are  drawn,  —  red,  white,  black,  white, 
the  red  being  next  to  the  gold. 


When  the  gold  is  hit,  it  counts    . 
When  the  red  is  hit,  it  counts 
When  the  inner  white  is  hit,  it  counts 
When  the  black  is  hit,  it  counts  . 
When  the  outer  white  is  hit,  it  counts 


An  excellent  target  is  made  from  a  shallow  pine  box, 
perhaps  four  feet  square,  filled  with  well-packed  earth,  over 


l8o  ARCHERY  AND   OTHER   GAMES. 

which  a  coffee-sack  is  tacked,  on  which  a  target-face  is 
fastened.  This  stops  the  arrow,  and  is  as  good  as  a  butt  or 
straw  target,  which  needs  to  be  supported  by  an  easel,  or 
tripod  of  wood. 

How  TO  Shoot.  —  The  targets  must  first  be  placed  on 
the  stands,  facing  each  other,  and  ten  feet  farther  apart  than 
the  length  of  the  range  to  be  shot.  A  mark  must  be  placed 
as  a  standing-point  from  which  to  shoot,  ten  feet  from  the 
face  of  each  target.  "  Now  carefully  brace  your  bow  as 
heretofore  directed.  Put  the  arrow-nock  on  the  string  at 
the  place  marked  for  it,  with  the  cock-feather  out  to  the  left. 
This  is  done  with  your  right  hand,  whilst  your  left  tightly 
grasps  the  handle  of  the  bow,  holding  it  nearly  horizontal. 
Now,  with  the  nock  thus  on  the  string,  hook  the  first,  sec- 
ond, and  third  fingers  under  the  string,  taking  the  arrow 
between  the  first  and  second.  Turn  the  bow  to  the  left  with 
the  left  hand,  until  it  stands  nearly  vertically  in  front  of  you, 
your  left  arm  extended  towards  the  gold  of  the  target.  Draw 
with  your  right,  and  push  firmly  with  your  left  hand,  until 
your  arrow's  head  rests  on  the  lowest  joint  of  your  left  fore- 
finger. Your  right  hand  will  now  touch  your  right  ear. 
Look  straight  and  hard  at  the  centre  of  the  target's  gold,  but 
do  not  even  glance  at  your  arrow.  Blindly  direct  your  arrow 
by  the  sense  of  feeling.  Let  go  the  string.  There  is  no 
such  thing  as  'taking  aim'  with  an  arrow.  He  is  a  bungling 
archer  who  attempts  it.  Shoot  from  the  first  by  your  sense 
of  direction  and  elevation.  It  will  surprise  you  at  first  to 
see  how  far  you  will  miss,  but  soon  you  will  begin  to  close 
in  with  your  arrows  towards  the  gold.  .  .  .  The  quicker  shot 
you  are,  the  better  for  you,  but  be  careful  not  to  make  a 
little  snatch  and  jerk  when  you  loose  the  string.  The  posi- 
tion in  shooting  should  be  graceful,  easy,  and  firm.  To  this 
end  advance  the  left  foot  a  half-pace,  the  toe  turned  towards 


RULES  FOR    TARGET-SHOOTING, 


l8l 


the  target,  the  knee  of  the  left  leg  slightly  bent.  Fix  the 
right  foot  nearly  at  right  angles  with  the  left,  the  right  leg 
straight.  Look  directly  over  the  left  shoulder  at  the  target. 
This  position  is  called,  *  putting  the  body  into  the  bow,'  and 
will  lead  to  powerful  shooting." 


RULES   FOR  TARGET-SHOOTING. 

"  I.  That  each  archer  have  a  scoring-card  or  paper  on  which 
to  mark  score,  as  follows :  — 


Shooter's  Namb. 

Hits. 

Number  Scored. 

Distance. 

Mary  Smith 

istEnd 

I 
o 
I 

7 
O 

9 

40  yards. 

2 

i6 

"  II.  That  a  captain  be  elected  to  superintend  the  scoring, 
and  to  settle  disputes  as  to  what  a  shot  shall  count. 

"III.  That  all  persons,  whether  archers  or  not,  shall  keep 
behind  the  person  shooting. 

"  IV.  The  range  shall  be,  say,  sixty  yards  for  gentlemen, 
and  for  ladies,  say,  thirty  yards. 

"  V.  There  shall  be  two  targets,  one  at  each  end  of  the 
range.  Each  shooter  shall  let  go  three  arrows,  and  this 
shall  be  called  an  end.  Then  all  persons,  excepting  the 
marker,  shall  walk  to  the  other  end  of  the  range,  extract 
their  arrows,  regard  score,  and  shoot  three  arrows  back  at 
the  first  target. 

"  VI.  The  number  of  ends  for  a  game  shall  be  thirty ;  that 
is,  ninety  shots  for  each  archer. 


l82  ARCHERY  AND   OTHER   GAMES. 

"  VII.  That  the  rings  on  the  targets  score  as  follows  :  — 


Gold 9 

Red 7 

Inner  White 5 


Black 3 

Outer  White i 


"VIII.  That  the  archer  getting  highest  total  score  shall 
be  winner. 

"IX.  In  case  two  or  more  archers  are  even  in  total  score, 
the  one  having  the  greatest  number  of  hits  shall  win.  If 
the  hits  are  equal  also,  then  the  one  having  the  greatest 
number  of  gold  hits,  or  hits  nearest  the  gold,  wins ;  or,  if 
the  equal  archers  choose,  they  may  shoot  three  arrows  each 
to  settle  the  Hie.' 

"  X.  That  *hits '  and  *  scores  '  are  to  be  counted  and  kept 
separately. 

"  XL  That  the  winners  of  first  prizes  shall  not  afterwards 
compete  for  the  lesser  prizes  of  the  day,  unless  they  agree 
to  allow  to  each  competitor  the  difference  between  his  and 
their  score  as  a  handicap.  That  is,  if  the  winner  of  the  open 
first  prize  beat  A,  B,  and  C  respectively  ten,  twenty-five, 
and  forty  points,  then  on  the  new  score,  for  the  second  prize, 
A,  B,  and  C  shall  have  respectively  ten,  twenty-five,  and 
forty  points  the  advantage  of  him  to  begin  with. 

"XII.  That  an  arrow  breaking  two  rings  shall  be  s-^-jred 
for  the  higher  ring. 

"  XIII.  Any  arrow  rebounding  from  the  target  shall  not 
be  scored. 

"XIV.  If  an  arrow  *flip*  from  the  string,  and  the  archer 
cannot  reach  it  with  his  bow,  it  shall  be  counted  1  shot, 
scoring  nothing. 

"  XV.  Each  arrow  shall  be  distinctly  marked  with  the 
owner's  name. 

"  XVI.  That  no  arrow  be  drawn  from  the  target  before  it 
is  scored :  otherwise  its  score  to  be  lest. 


CROQUET  POOL. 


183 


"  XVII.  That  each  archer  shoot  no  bow  or  arrows  except 
his  own. 

"XVIII.  That   the  scorer  keep   each  archer's   score,  as 
follows : "  — 

SCORE-BOOK. 
Juney  188S. 


Number  of 
Ends. 

Gold. 

Red. 

Inner 
White. 

Black. 

Outer 
White. 

Hits. 

Score. 

1st       .     . 

2d.    .    . 

3d.    .    . 

4th     .    . 

5th     .    . 

6th     .    . 



CROQUET,    BADMINTON,  ETC. 

Croquet  is  too  well  known  to  need  any  description  ;  but  a 
new  form  of  it  is  not  so  much  so,  and  makes  a  pleasant 
variety.     This  is  called 

CROQUET    POOL,    OR    ADDITION    AND    SUBTRACTION. 

This  game  is  the  same  in  principle  as  bridge  at  bagatelle. 
Nine  hoops  are  fixed  in  a  horizontal  line,  thus,  — 

nnnnnnnnn 

1 3  5  7  9  7  5  3 1 


1 84  ARCHERY  AND   OTHER   GAMES. 

The  striker,  who  plays  the  eight  balls  one  after  another, 
stands  at  any  agreed  number  of  yards  from  the  hoops,  and 
aims  at  the  centre  one,  scoring  for  his  stroke  according  to 
the  hoop  which  he  goes  through.  Should  he  miss  the  hoops 
altogether,  a  deduction  of  three  is  made  from  his  score. 
Should  he  hit  the  wire,  and  so  fail  to  go  through,  he  scores 
the  same  as  though  he  went  through  the  lower  of.  the  two 
hoops  separated  by  the  said  wire.  Should  he  strike  the  out- 
side wire  of  hoops  No.  i,  he  scores  nothing,  but  is  not 
punished  by  the  score  of  minus  three.  The  game  may  be 
played  by  sides,  or  by  a  general  competition  for  the  highest 
score. 

BADMINTON. 

Badminton  is  a  game  suited  either  for  indoor  or  outdoor 
recreation  :  it  may  be  played  in  the  hall,  or  on  the  grass-plot 
or  lawn.  The  dimensions  of  the  ground  for  outdoor  play 
should  be  60  feet  long  by  30  fe^t  wide  (the  proportions  of 
an  ordinary  billiard-hall) ;  but  the  game  is  occasionally 
played  on  one  80  feet  by  40  feet.  Whatever  size,  however, 
the  ground  may  be,  the  same  relative  proportions  should 
be  adhered  to.  The  net  sold  with  the  implements  is  to  be 
stretched  across  the  hall  or  lawn  (hanging  vertically) ;  and 
the  cord,  having  been  affixed  at  top  and  bottom  to  the 
standard,  is  to  be  secured  to  a  stake  or  peg  driven  into  the 
ground  at  each  end  of  the  net.  (See  plan.)  The  net  divides 
the  players  into  two  sides ;  and  each  side  should  be  further 
divided  into  two  courts,  shown  respectively  at  A  B  and  C  D. 
In  order  to  define  the  courts,  a  cord  may  be  drawn  through 
the  centre  of  the  net,  or  they  may  be  marked  out  by  means  of 
chalk  upon  the  turf.  At  three  feet  distance  each  side  of  the 
net  a  line  is  to  drawn,  and  this  is  termed  the  serving-crease. 
The  game  may  be  played  by  any  number  of  persons,  not  ex- 


BADMINTON. 


185 


ceeding  eight  on  each  side ;  but  four  players  on  each  side  is 
the  usual  number. 

The  first  side  to  serve  is  to  be  determined  by  lot ;  and, 
in  order  to  equalize  the  chances,  only  half  the  number  of 


Fig.  47. 

players  on  this  side  serve  in  the  first  innings.  After  the 
first  innings,  all  the  opponents  serve,  then  all  the  others, 
and  so  on  in  rotation  ;  and  the  side  which  first  scores  21  or 
29  (according  to  the  number  playing)  becomes  the  winner 
of  the  game.  When  the  players  do  not  exceed  two  or  four 
on  each  side,  the  game  consists  of  21  points;  but,  if  more 
than  four,  29. 

The  game  is  commenced  by  one  of  the  players  standing 
in  one  of  the  courts,  say  in  B,  and  serving  the  shuttlecock  to 
that  player  stationed  in  the  opposite  court  diagonally  to  that 
in  which  the  server  is  ;  viz.,  in  C.  Serving  the  shuttlecock 
is  an  important  feature  in  the  game,  and  the  rules  in  regard 
to  it  must  be  rigidly  adhered  to.  It  is  performed  thus  :  the 
player,  termed  the  server,  takes  the  shuttlecock  in  the  left 
hand,  and  strikes  it  with  the  battledoor  in  his  right  over  the 
net,  and  beyond  the  serving-crease  on  the  other  side ;  but,  in 


1 86  ARCHERY  AND   OTHER   GAMES. 

serving  the  shuttlecock,  the  battledooi  must  never  be  raised 
higher  than  the  elbow,  and  it  must  invariably  be  struck 
underhand.  At  other  times  it  may  be  struck  at  either  over 
or  under,  but  only  the  latter  when  serving.  If  the  adversary 
in  court  C,  termed  the  servee,  miss  it  (the  shuttlecock  having 
been  fairly  served),  then  the  player  in  court  B  scores  i ;  but 
if  he  strike  the  shuttlecock  back,  and  the  server's  side  miss 
it,  then  the  latter  is  out  (this  is  termed  a  hand-out),  and  an- 
other player  on  the  same  side  becomes  server  in  his  place, 
the  side  served  scoring  one  point. 

After  the  first  serving,  the  players  on  either  side  are  not 
compelled  to  keep  in  their  respective  courts,  but  may  strike 
the  shuttlecock  from  any  part  they  choose,  so  long  as  they 
keep  within  the  boundaries. 

If  the  server  miss  the  shuttlecock  in  the  act  of  serving,  or 
strike  it  overhand,  in  each  case  he  is  out. 

If  the  shuttlecock  does  not  clear  the  net,  or  if  it  fall  within 
the  serving-crease  on  the  other  side,  he  is  out ;  or  if  served 
into  the  wrong  court,  or  beyond  the  bounds  of  the  ground, 
he  is  likewise  out. 

When  the  server's  side  makes  a  point,  Le.,  scores  i,  he 
(the  server)  must  at  once  move  into  the  court  to  the  left  of 
that  in  which  he  stands  ;  thus  from  court  B  he  would  move 
into  A,  or  from  C  into  D,  according  to  the  side  in.  Another 
server  then  takes  his  place,  or,  if  all  on  one  side  have  served, 
then  the  opponents  in  their  turn  become  the  servers. 

The  side  serving  makes  a  point  if  the  shuttlecock  is 
missed  by  the  adversary,  or  if  it  is  not  struck  back  entirely 
clear  of  the  net,  or  if  struck  beyond  the  bounds  of  the  game. 

A  player  is  not  compelled  to  accept  the  serving  if  the 
shuttlecock  be  served  into  the  wrong  court,  or  beyond  the 
bounds  of  the  ground ;  but  if  the  player  strikes  at  the  shuttle 
cock,  it  counts. 


SHIP-COIL,  187 

The  players  change  into  the  opposite  court  at  the  termina- 
tion of  each  game,  and  the  winners  of  the  last  game  become 
first  servers  in  the  next. 

LAWN    BILLIARDS. 

This  is  an  agreeable  outdoor  amusement.  A  ring  which 
turiis  is  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  lawn,  and  each  player 
has  one  ball  and  a  cue.  They  commence  by  bowling  the 
balls  as  near  the  ring  as  possible,  and  the  nearest  ball  plays 
first.  The  object  is  to  throw  the  ball  with  the  cue  (which  is 
shaped  something  like  a  ladle  or  spoon)  through  the  ring. 
Each  time  this  is  successfully  done,  the  player  scores  i, 
and  continues  playing  until  he  misses ;  and  then  the  next 
player  goes  on.     It  is  played  with  sides,  like  croquet. 

SHIP-COIL. 

This  is  a  favorite  game  on  ship-board  in  long  voyages,  and 
was  made  known  to  us  years  ago  in  Mrs.  Whitney's  "We 
Girls."  Ten  rings  are  made  from  rope,  each  ring  eight  or 
ten  inches  in  diameter ;  and  the  object  is  to  throw  all  over  a 
stake  set  up  at  just  the  right  throwing-distance,  this  depend- 
ing something  on  the  player,  though  eight  or  ten  feet  is  the 
usual  allowance.  Each  player  throws  all  the  rings  at  one 
turn,  each  ring  that  falls  on  the  stake  counting  ten.  What- 
ever number  is  made  counts  up  on  the  player's  side,  and  the 
game  includes  as  many  rounds  as  may  be  agreed  upon. 
Sets  are  now  sold  in  large  toy-stores,  but  they  are  easily 
made  at  home ;  and  the  game,  though  simple,  is  graceful  and 
pleasing.  The  rings  can  be  brightened  by  winding  them 
with  strips  of  gay  woollen,  and  finishing  each  with  a  bow 
tightly  sewed  on. 


1 88  ARCHERY  AND   OTHER   GAMES, 


ROUNDERS. 

Any  number  may  play  at  this  game.  Two  are  selected  to 
choose  sides.  Five  points  in  the  field  are  then  marked  out 
with  stones  or  sticks,  one  for  a  home,  the  others  for  resting- 
places.  One  of  the  players  from  the  side  chosen  to  begin 
holds  the  ball  (which  should  be  a  soft  India-rubber  one)  and 
a  netted  battledoor  with  which  to  strike  it.  One  of  the 
players  on  the  opposite  side  must  stand  near,  in  order,  if 
possible,  to  catch  the  ball ;  and  if  she  succeeds  in  doing 
this,  the  opposition  side  are  out.  The  moment  the  ball  has 
started,  the  player  runs  round  the  course  marked  :  if  she  is 
hit  by  the  ball,  she  cannot  again  play  until  three  rounders 
are  accomplished  by  some  of  the  players  on  her  side.  If  the 
ball  strikes  the  runner  when  she  has  arrived  at  the  post  or 
the  home,  it  does  not  count. 


A  HOME  SWIMMING-SCHOOL,  1 89 


CHAPTER   III. 

A  HOME  SWIMMING-SCHOOL. 

Hardly  a  village  in  the  land  but  owns  a  fresh-water  pond, 
or  small  stream,  where  swimming  could  easily  be  learned. 
And  before  any  one  ventures  into  a  boat,  or  makes  even  the 
shortest  journey  by  water,  swimming  should  have  been 
learned  so  thoroughly,  that,  no  matter  how  hampered  by 
clothing,  presence  of  mind  will  not  be  lost  in  case  of  acci- 
dent, and,  even  if  thrown  suddenly  into  the  water,  there 
will  be  no  fear.  "  Can  you  swim  } "  ought  to  be  painted  in 
large  letters  on  every  boat-house  in  the  land ;  and  every  one 
who  sails  or  rows,  taught  how  to  support  themselves  in  the 
water,  if  nothing  more.  Swimming  is  an  instinct  with  all 
young  animals,  and  would  seem  to  be  so  with  one  variety 
of  the  human  animal ;  the  South-Sea-Islander  babies  being 
tossed  into  the  water  before  they  are  a  year  old,  and,  by  the 
time  they  are  three  or  four,  being  as  much  at  home  in  the 
water  as  on  the  land.  Climate  makes  this  more  agreeable 
for  them  than  it  would  be  for  us :  but  our  long  summers  give 
ample  time  for  learning ;  and,  once  learned,  there  is  no  more 
fear  of  the  water,  and  boating  follows  naturally.  Certainly 
it  should  never  begin  till  swimming  has  been  learned. 

It  is  wiser  always  to  begin  under  the  direction  of  an 
older  person/  Swimming  may  be  self-taught,  as  it  often  is 
among  boys ;  but  a  strong  father,  or  older  brother,  can  give 
you  hints  that  no  written  directions  will  hold  as  well.  A 
flannel  bathing-dress  is  the  best  costume ;  and,  if  you  do  not 


190  A   HOME  SWIMMING-SCHOOL, 

want  to  wet  the  hair,  wear  also  an  oil-silk  cap,  with  a  close- 
fitting  elastic  run  in  the  edge.  A  swimming-tank,  of  course, 
gives  one  a  far  greater  sense  of  safety,  but  this  requires  a 
building  expressly  for  the  purpose ;  and  a  pond,  or  still  water 
by  the  seashore,  where  there  is  an  experienced  person  to 
direct  matters,  will,  as  soon  as  the  first  fear  is  over,  be  far 
pleasanter.  Never  swim  directly  after  eating,  or  when  over- 
heated, and  let  the  first  step  be  to  wet  the  head,  as  this 
jprevents  headache. 

?  Remember  first,  that,  when  a  human  body  is  immersed  in 
water,  one-eleventh  of  its  weight  remains  above  the  surface 
in  fresh  water,  and  about  one-tenth  in  salt.  One  who  is 
afraid  of  sinking  stretches  out  the  arms  to  catch  at  some- 
thing ;  and  thus  the  head  immediately  goes  under  water,  as 
the  head  and  arms  exceed  greatly  one-tenth  of  the  weight  of 
the  body.  If  a  swimmer  turns  on  the  back,  the  head  thrown 
back,  so  that  the  face  is  turned  upwards,  there  need  never 
be  fear  that  the  water  will  come  over  the  mouth,  although, 
at  each  inspiration  and  expiration  of  breath,  the  face  rises 
and  sinks  one  inch. 

It  is  better  always  to  dispense  with  corks,  or  floats  of  any 
sort.  You  should  wall^  in  on  a  clear  and  gradually  shelv- 
ing bottom,  until  the  water  reaches  the  breast ;  then  turn 
to  the  point  of  entrance,  draw  a  full,  deep  breath,  close  the 
lips,  and  rest  on  the  water,  letting  it  rise  to  the  chin,  and 
gradually,  as  this  is  done  several  times,  letting  more  and 
more  of  the  head  be  covered.  If  there  is  fear,  and  an  invol- 
untary throwing  out  of  the  arms,  let  some  one  support  you 
a  moment  or  two,  till  it  is  proved  that  you  need  not  sink. 
But  decide  in  the  beginning  not  to  be  afraid,  and  not  to 
mind  it  if  you  do  sink  once  or  twice,  or  if  the  water  dashes 
in  your  face.  You  will  very  quickly  see  that  you  are  far 
more  secure  than  you  dreamed  you  could  be ;  and,  as  soon 


A   HOME  SWIMMING-SCHOOL.  I9I 

as  you  have  gained  this  confidence,  the  rest  is  easy  and 
pleasant.  Then  comes  the  question  of  attitude,  which  is  a 
very  important  one.  The  head  must  always  be  thrown  back, 
the  chin  raised,  the  breast  set  well  forward,  and  the  back 
hollowed  and  kept  steady. 

The  position  of  the  hands  is  quite  as  important.  The  fin- 
gers must  be  kept  close  together  ;  for,  if  separated,  they  break 
the  surface  of  the  water,  and  spoil  the  stroke.  The  thumbs 
must  lie  closely  to  the  forefingers,  and  the  hands  be  hollowed 


Fig,  48. —  Swimming  on  the  Chest. 

a  little,  but  very  little,  as,  if  they  are  too  much  curved,  the 
stroke  loses  power. 

For  the  stroke,  let  the  fingers  be  raised  three  or  four  inches 
higher  than  the  thick  part  of  the  hand,  and  let  the  outer 
or  little-finger  side  be  a  little  higher  than  the  inner  edge. 
Then  project  the  hands  forward  to  their  utmost  extent,  and 
then  let  them  fall  on  a  line  with  the  hips,  but  at  some 
distance  from  them.  Then  raise  the  hands  to  the  breast  by 
a  turn  of  the  wrist,  and  they  are  ready  for  another  stroke. 
This  motion  should  be  easy  and  regular,  and  can  be  prac- 
tised before  entering  the  water  at  all,  one  arm  at  a  time 
being  exercised,  and  then  both  together. 


192  A   HOME  SWIMMING-SCHOOL, 

It  is  the  feet  and  legs  which  do  the  chief  part  of  the  work, 
as  they  are  so  much  larger  and  stronger ;  and  many  of  their 
motions,  too,  can  be  practised  in  one's  room,  one  arm  resting 
on  top  of  a  chair,  while  the  opposite  leg  is  exercised.  The 
first  motion  is  to  draw  one  leg  up  as  high  as  possible  (the 
knee  inclining  inward,  and  the  ankle  a  little  turned,  so  that 
the  sole  of  the  foot  is  outward),  then  throw  the  foot  out  to 
the  full  extent  of  the  leg.  If  in  the  water,  both  feet  are 
drawn  up  at  once,  and  then  thrust  out  strongly,  and  as  widely 
from  each  other  as  possible,  bringing  them  together  briskly 
and  closely,  to  be  ready  for  another  stroke. 

The  legs  and  arms  must  do  their  work  alternately,  the 
arms  descending  while  the  legs  are  rising.  At  first  it  is 
easier  to  let  them  work  together ;  but,  as  soon  as  confidence 
is  gained,  the  alternate  movement  must  be  learned.  A  quick 
stroke  is  tiresome ;  and  a  long,  steady  one  will  take  the  learner 
over  a  hundred  yards,  where  a  quick  one  would  tire  out  in 
twenty-five. 

How  to  breathe  is  one  of  the  most  troublesome  points. 
"  The  breath  should  be  drawn  in  at  the  moment  when  the 
body  is  elevated  by  the  hands  descending  toward  the  hips, 
otherwise  the  mouth  will  probably  become  filled  with  water. 
The  breath  should  be  expired  while  the  body  is  sent  forward 
by  the  action  of  the  legs.  The  head  is  the  principal  regula- 
tor of  the  movements  in  the  water,"  and  the  least  change  in 
its  position  affects  the  position  of  the  body. 

Floating  is  often  learned  before  swimming.  For  this, 
turn  on  the  back,  and  let  the  crown  of  the  head  sink  deeper 
than  usual ;  raise  the  chin  above  the  line  of  the  forehead  ; 
cross  the  hands  on  the  breast,  or  place  them,  about  a  foot 
apart,  at  equal  distances  from  the  head ;  and  let  the  feet  be 
close  together.    This  is  often  a  rest  when  tired  of  swimming. 

Treading  zvater  is  also  a  change.     Here  only  the  legs  are 


MISCELLANEOUS  INSTRUCTIONS. 


m 


I  ied ;  the  arms  being  folded  on  the  chest,  or  pressed  against 
the  hips.  The  stroke  with  the  legs  is  the  same,  save  that 
it  is  made  in  half  the  usual  space  of  time.  The  swimmer 
is  practically  standing  in  the  water,  and,  if  the  stroke  were 
as  slow  as  usual,  would  sink  too  low  in  the  interval  between 
them. 


Fig.  49.  —  Swimming  on  the  Side. 

In  swimming  on  the  back,  the  body  rests  at  full  length, 
really  gently  lying  down  on  the  water,  with  very  slight  motion 
of  the  feet ;  but,  for  this,  finning^  winging^  and  the  countless 
ways  in  which  an  accomplished  swimmer  varies  the  sport,  it 
is  necessary  to  have  personal  teaching,  though  strokes  and 
methods  are  carefully  described  in  a  swimming-manual,  men- 
tioned, among  other  books  of  reference,  at  the  end. 


MISCELLANEOUS   INSTRUCTIONS. 

In  the  first  place,  practise  every  possible  method  of  keep- 
ing afloat  under  disadvantageous  circumstances ;  so  that,  if 
any  accident  should  happen,  you  may  always  know  instinc- 
tively what  to  do,  and  may  do  it  without  having  to  think 
about  it. 


194  ^   HOME  SWIMMII^G-SCHOOL. 

That  terrible  swimmer's  bane,  the  cramp,  is  always  to  be 
dreaded.  Perhaps  more  good  swimmers  have  been  drowned 
by  cramp  than  by  any  thing  else,  and  only  those  who  have 
suffered  from  it  can  conceive  its  fatal  power.  Strong  men 
and  good  swimmers,  when  seized  by  the  cramp,  have  been 
known  to  sink  instantly,  overcome  with  the  sudden  pain  ; 
and  nothing  can  save  the  victim  but  the  greatest  presence 
of  mind. 

The  usual  spot  where  the  cramp  is  felt  is  the  calf  of  the 
leg,  just  below  the  knee  ;  and  it  sometimes  comes  with  such 
violence,  that  the  muscles  are  gathered  up  into  knots. 

There  is  only  one  method  of  proceeding  under  such  cir- 
cumstances. Turn  on  the  back  at  once,  kick  out  the  leg  in 
the  air,  disregarding  the  pain,  and  rub  the  spot  smartly  with 
one  hand,  while  the  other  is  employed  in  paddling  towards 
shore. 

These  directions  are  easy  enough  to  give,  but  most  diffi- 
cult to  be  obeyed.  Cramp  seems  to  deprive  the  sufferers 
from  it  of  all  reason,  for  the  time,  and  to  overpower  them 
with  mingled  pain  and  terror.  Still,  there  is  no  other  hope 
of  reaching  shore  than  that  which  is  here  given. 

The  causes  of  cramp  are  generally  twofold.  The  princi- 
pal cause  lies  in  indigestion,  for  it  is  seldom  that  a  person  in 
really  good  health  is  attacked  by  this  malady.  The  second 
reason  is  over-exertion  of  muscles  that  have  been  little  used  ; 
and  therefore  too  strong  a  leg-stroke  should  always  be  avoided. 

Another  thing  which  demands  great  practice  is  the  method 
of  saving  a  drowning  person.  The  chief  difficulty  lies  in 
the  fact  that  a  person  who  cannot  swim  feels,  in  deep  water, 
much  as  if  he  were  falling  through  air,  and  consequently 
clutches  instinctively  at  the  nearest  object.  And,  if  he  suc- 
ceeds in  fixing  a  grasp  upon  the  person  who  is  trying  to  save 
him,  both  will  probably  sink  together. 


MISCELLANEOUS  INSTktJCTIONS.  I95 

Therefore,  every  precaution  should  be  taken  to  prevent 
such  a  misfortune ;  and  the  drowning  man  should  always  be 
seized  from  behind,  and  pushed,  as  it  were,  in  front.  Should 
he  succeed  in  fixing  his  grasp,  the  only  remedy  is  to  dive, 
when  it  will  be  found  that  he  will  loosen  his  hold  on  finding 
himself  below  the  surface,  and  will  allow  his  rescuer  to  take 
a  better  position.  This  art  has  often  been  practised  by  a 
swimming  party  ;  each,  in  turn,  enacting  the  part  of  a  drown- 
ing person,  and  trying  to  grasp  a  companion  who  was  trying 
to  bring  one  ashore.  It  is  capital  practice,  and  one  that  is 
much  to  be  recommended. 


196  BOATING  FOR  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

BOATING  FOR  GIRLS. 

Swimming  having  been  mastered,  there  are  few  as  pleas- 
ant forms  of  gymnastics  as  a  row  in  a  light  and  well-made 
boat.  The  dress  should  be  light  and  loose ;  dark  flannel 
being  the  best,  or  some  wash  goods,  as  the  bottom  of  a  boat 
is  always  more  or  less  dirty,  and  the  skirt  is  always  in  con- 
tact with  it.  The  jersey  at  present  worn  makes  a  pretty 
boating-dress  with  a  dark  skirt,  as,  while  fitting  well,  it  yields 
to  every  motion.  Freedom  for  the  arms  must  be  insisted 
on.  The  sleeves  themselves  need  not  be  very  loose;  but 
the  seams  where  they  are  joined  to  the  body  must  be  made 
so  as  not  to  chafe  at  all,  or  in  a  very  short  time  your  arm 
will  be  too  sore  to  row  with.  Shoes  with  rubber  soles  are 
convenient  and  comfortable  in  a  boat :  such  as  are  worn  for 
tennis  are  the  right  kind.  A  shady  straw  hat  will  be  found 
a  useful  preventive  of  sunburn ;  but  I  am  afraid  that  rowing 
is  not  a  pursuit  for  those  who  are  very  particular  about  their 
complexions.  Do  not  wear  any  thing  very  tight  round  the 
waist. 

Blisters  are  a  great  nuisance  when  you  begin  rowing :  you 
may  prevent  them  by  rowing  in  gloves.  You  need  not  be 
ashamed  of  this,  as  many  good  oarsmen  do  it.  Cutting  off 
the  tops  of  the  fingers  and  thumb  makes  the  glove  cooler, 
and  does  not  impair  its  usefulness.  Always  take  off  your 
rings  before  you  begin  to  row :  you  will  be  sure  to  blister 
your  hands  if  you  keep  them  on. 


PARTS  OF  A   BOAT,   OARS,   ETC.  I97 

Learn  all  the  parts  of  a  boat  thoroughly  in  your  first  les- 
son or  two,  which  ought  to  be  taken  from  some  experienced 
person,  in  order  to  avoid  forming  bad  habits  which  it  may 
be  hard  to  get  rid  of  later  on. 

PARTS    OF    A    BOAT,    OARS,    ETC. 

The  fore-part  of  a  boat  is  called  the  bows ;  and  the  aftdr- 
part,  the  stern.  To  a  ring  in  the  bows  is  generally  attached 
the  painter y  —  a  short  rope  which  serves  to  tie  up  the  boat 
when  not  in  use.  It  should  be  coiled  up  carefully  in  the 
bows  when  the  boat  is  under  way :  it  looks  very  slovenly 
when  allowed  to  trail  overboard. 

The  thwarts  are  boards  which  cross  the  boat,  and  strength- 
en it,  besides  forming  the  seats.  The  fore-thwart  has  often 
a  hole  in  it,  in  which  the  mast  may  be  stepped.  Small 
mats  are  often  tied  on  the  thwarts  to  sit  on,  but  are  quite 
unnecessary. 

Tho. gunwale  (pronounce  "gunnel")  is  the  top  of  the  side 
of  the  boat,  and  on  it  are  fastened  the  rowlocks  (pronounce 
"  rullocks  "),  in  which  the  oars  rest  when  rowing.  They  are 
either  fixed  directly  on  the  gunwale,  or,  in  the  case  of  nar- 
row boats,  are  supported  outside  by  iron  outriggers :  this  is 
to  give  the  rower  sufficient  leverage.  A  boat  thus  fitted  is 
said  to  be  outrigged. 

The  use  of  the  word  oar  is  (or  ought  to  be)  confined  to 
the  larger  kind,  which  are  used  with  both  hands  :  sculls 
are  used  one  in  each  hand.  Both  have  a  button  of  leather 
fastened  to  them  to  prevent  them  from  slipping  out  through 
the  rowlocks. 

The  rudder  is  the  means  of  steering  the  boat,  and  is 
worked  by  lines  attached  to  the  yoke,  or  crosspiece  at  its 
head.  See  that  the  lines  are  not  crossed  behind  your  back. 
You  have  to  pull  the  line  on  the  side  to  which  you  wish  to  go. 


198  BOATING   FOR   GIRLS. 

The  boat-hook  is  an  invaluable  aid  when  setting  out,  or 
coming  to  shore.  There  should  be  two,  especially  if  there 
are  locks  to  be  passed  ;  and  they  should  be  kept,  ready  for 
use,  in  the  bow  and  stern.  The  kind  of  boat-hook  with  a 
paddle  on  it  is  often  useful  in  getting  out  of  a  lock. 

A  convenient  boat  for  general  use  would  hold  about  five, 
—  two  seated  in  the  stern  (one  of  whom  steers),  one  on  each 
of  the  two  thwarts,  and  one  reclining  in  the  bows.  The  two 
who  are  engaged  in  rowing  may  each  use,  either  one  oar  or  a 
pair  of  sculls  :  the  latter  arrangement  is  termed  double  scull- 
ingy  and  is  often  adopted  on  the  Thames,  especially  by  ladies, 
who  do  not  seem  to  take  to  an  oar  as  easily  as  to  sculls. 

At  the  same  time  such  a  boat  will  not  be  too  large  for  one 
person  to  scull  about  easily,  and  it  may  be  perfectly  safe 
without  being  at  all  cumbrous. 

What  is  called  a  Randan  is  a  very  popular  way  of  arran- 
ging the  work  in  a  rather  large  boat.  In  this  case  there  are 
three  rowers  ;  the  one  in  the  middle  using  a  pair  of  sculls, 
and  the  others  an  oar  each. 

The  oarsman  next  to  the  cockswain  is  called  strokcy  and  it 
is  he  who  gives  time  to  the  others.  The  one  in  the  bows  is 
termed  bow.  If  there  are  more  than  this,  as  is  usually  the 
case  in  boating-clubs,  as  at  Vassar  or  Wellesley,  they  are 
numbered,  the  one  next  to  bow  being  two ;  and  so  on  until 
the  one  next  to  stroke  is  reached :  in  an  eight-oar  this  would 
be  seven. 

A  few  short  rules  sum  up  the  necessary  points  in  all  boat- 
ing. 

1.  Straighten  the  arms  before  bending  the  body  forward. 

2.  Drop  the  oar  cleanly  in  the  water. 

3.  Draw  it  straight  through  at  the  same  depth. 

4.  Feather  neatly,  and  without  bringing  the  oar  out  before 
doing  so. 


PARTS  OF  A   BOAT,   OARS,  ETC.  I99 

5.  Use  the  back  and  shoulders  freely,  keeping  arms  as 
straight  as  possible. 

6.  Keep  the  eyes  fixed  on  the  rower  before  one,  and  avoid 
looking  out  of  the  boat ;  as,  if  one  does,  the  body  will  not 
swing  backwards  and  forwards  in  a  straight  line. 

The  first  thing  to  do  after  seating  yourself  in  the  boat  is 
to  see  that  your  stretcher  is  of  the  right  length.  (The 
stretcher  is  a  board  against  which  your  feet  press.)  It  should 
be  adjusted  so  that  your  knees  are  only  slightly  bent.  Then 
see  that  the  oar  is  well  greased  where  it  works  in  the  row- 
locks, or  it  will  creak  in  a  very  unpleasant  way. 

The  hands  should  grasp  the  oar  easily  and  naturally  while 
its  blade  lies  flat  on  the  water.  The  head  must  be  kept  up- 
right, and  the  elbows  close  to  the  side.  When  you  are  ready 
to  begin,  lean  forward  as  far  as  you  can,  with  your  arms  quite 
straight  in  front  of  you,  still  keeping  the  blade  flat.  When 
you  are  quite  forward,  turn  the  hands  down  from  the  wrist 
(this  will  turn  the  oar  so  that  the  blade  will  be  at  right  angles 
to  the  water) :  at  the  same  time  dip  the  blade  by  slightly 
raising  the  hands.  The  blade  must  be  only  just  covered : 
any  excess  in  this  direction  is  called  rowing  deep.  The  blade 
is  then  to  be  pulled  through  the  water  by  throwing  the  body 
back  as  soon  as  the  oar  dips.  The  arms  are  to  be  kept 
quite  straight,  and  the  pull  done  with  the  body  only,  until 
you  are  nearly  at  the  end  of  the  stroke,  when  the  arms  may 
be  bent  to  pull  the  remainder.' 

When  the  stroke  is  over,  drop  your  hands,  still  grasping 
the  oar,  into  your  lap,  at  the  same  time  turning  them  up 
again,  so  that  the  blade  will  come  forward  edgewise,  or 
feathered,  when  you  shoot  them  out.  You  must  get  out 
your  hands  as  quickly  as  possible,  and,  when  your  arms  are 

*  Cuts  of  the  various  strokes,  etc.,  can  be  found  in  any  manual  of  boating.  Routledge 
has  one. 


200  BOATING  FOR   GIRLS, 

Straight,  come  forward  with  your  body,  and  repeat  the  whole 
series  of  movements. 

You  can  row  in  as  slow  time  as  you  like,  but  the  whole 
motion  must  be  continuous.  There  must  be  no  pause  at  the 
end  of  the  stroke,  but  you  must  come  forward  directly  for 
the  next :  nor  must  you  wait  after  you  have  come  forward ; 
this  fault  is  called  hanging  over  the  stretcher. 

Backing  water  is  a  very  necessary  stroke  if  there  is  any 
danger  of  coUision,  or  where  the  space  to  be  entered  or  left 
is  very  narrow.  It  is  simply  reversing  the  stroke,  which,  of 
course,  sends  the  boat  in  an  opposite  direction  from  the  one 
it  has  been  heading.  Where  there  is  no  rudder,  steering 
is  also  done  in  this  way,  using  but  one  oar. 

For  girls,  who  may  not  care  to  aim  at  any  very  scientific 
rowing,  the  main  fault  to  be  avoided  is  "rowing  with  the 
arms."  This  may  sound  rather  a  paradox;  but  it  means  only 
that  the  chief  pull  is  to  come  from  the  back,  the  leverage 
being  gained  by  pressing  the  feet  against  the  stretcher,  and 
the  arms  serving,  for  the  greater  part  of  the  stroke,  merely 
to  transmit  the  power  from  the  back  to  the  oar. 

Nothing  is  more  ludicrous  to  any  one  who  knows  what 
rowing  ought  to  be  than  to  see  a  girl  sitting  upright  in  a 
boat,  and  working  entirely  with  her  arms. 

Most  of  these  remarks  apply  also  to  sculling.  You  will 
find,  that  at  the  middle  of  the  stroke  your  hands  will  overlap 
each  other,  and  you  must  take  care  at  first  that  you  do  not 
hurt  your  fingers.  Do  not  scull  at  first  with  your  thumbs 
on  the  end  of  the  sculls,  or  you  will  be  likely  to  bruise  them 
seriously  :  when  you  have  gained  a  mastery  over  the  thing, 
you  may  put  your  thumbs  where  you  like. 

Of  course,  when  your  hands  overlap,  they  must  be  one  in 
front  of  the  other,  and  not  one  over  the  other,  which  would 
dip  one  blade  deeper  than  it  should  be  dipped.  It  is  imma- 
terial which  hand  is  first. 


PARTS  OF  A    BOAT,    OARS,   ETC.  20I 

Rowing-boats  are  often  fitted  with  a  mast  and  sail,  and 
though  their  performance  under  sail  is,  as  a  rule,  extremely 
bad,  it  may  be  as  well  to  speak  of  the  care  which  should  be 
taken  under  these  circumstances.  They  are,  as  a  rule,  very 
dangerous ;  as  they  are  not  meant  for  sailing,  and  have  no 
keel  worth  mentioning.  This  defect,  besides  rendering  them 
liable  to  upset,  makes  beating  against  the  wind  an  impossi- 
bility ;  and  it  will  be  found  no  saving  of  time  or  labor  to 
hoist  sail  in  a  rowing-boat,  unless  the  wind  is  very  nearly 
dead  astern. 

The  rope  by  which  the  sail  is  hoisted  is  called  the  hal- 
liards (pronounce  halyards) ;  and  it  should  be  pulled  quite 
tight,  or  the  sail  will  not  set  properly.  The  rope  fastened 
to  the  foot  of  the  sail,  by  which  it  is  regulated  according  to 
the  direction  of  the  wind,  is  called  the  sheet.  It  is  the 
incautious  fastening  of  this  rope  which  leads  to  many  acci- 
dents, even  in  boats  intended  specially  for  sailing.  It  should 
be  generally  held  in  the  hand,  or,  at  any  rate,  so  fastened 
that  it  can  be  let  go  at  a  moment's  notice.  The  wind  is 
powerless  to  upset  the  boat  when  this  rope  is  let  go,  as  the 
sail  then  is  edgewise  to  the  wind,  which  has  no  action  on  it. 
In  rivers  especially,  this  caution  is  required,  as  the  wind 
there  is  generally  unsteady  and  in  puffs,  owing  to  the  trees, 
houses,  etc.,  on  the  bank. 

In  rowing  on  large  rivers  near  cities,  as  on  the  Hudson  or 
Potomac,  great  care  must  be  taken  in  looking  out  for  other 
boats.  The  swell  of  a  large  steamer  sometimes  swamps  a 
small  boat,  and  often  one  is  likely  to  be  run  into  by  begin- 
ners who  cannot  manage  a  boat.  Quiet  streams  in  the 
country  are  safest  in  every  way.  In  a  long  expedition  it  is 
often  very  convenient  to  tow,  instead  of  rowing,  especially 
when  the  boat  is  heavily  laden,  or  the  stream  very  strong. 
At  such  times,  one  person  walking  on  the  bank  can  tow,  with 


202  BOATING  FOR   GIRLS. 

very  little  exertion,  a  boat  which  would  hardly  make  any 
way  with  several  rowing.  The  line  for  towing  should  be 
long  (fifty  yards  or  more),  as  the  towing-path  is  often  not 
quite  close  to  the  river ;  while  at  times  the  boat  has  to  sheer 
out  to  avoid  shallow  water,  other  boats,  and  the  like.  It 
need  not  be  thick  or  heavy,  as  but  little  strain  is  put  on  it 
if  the  starting  be  done  gradually ;  and  a  very  light  line  will 
tow  a  very  heavy  boat.  To  one  end  is  attached  a  shoulder- 
strap  of  webbing :  this  is  put  on  over  the  shoulder  farthest 
from  the  water.  The  other  end  is  fastened  to  the  boat,  and 
there  ought  to  be  a  towing-mast  for  this  purpose.  It  should 
be  about  five  feet  long,  the  lower  end  passing  through  a  hole 
in  the  fore-thwart,  and  fitting  into  a  step^  or  square  hole,  in 
the  bottom  timbers  of  the  boat.  The  upper  end  has  a  hole 
to  receive  the  tow-rope,  which  is  passed  through  it,  and  fas- 
tened to  the  fore-rowlock  on  the  side  away  from  the  towing- 
path.  It  should  be  tied  in  a  knot  which  will  come  undone 
with  a  pull  at  the  loose  end,  as  it  is  often  necessary  to  cast 
it  o£F  at  a  moment's  notice. 

While  towing,  the  boat  must  be  carefully  steered.  Keep 
as  near  to  the  bank  as  you  can ;  for  this  materially  lightens 
the  work,  which  will  be  a  very  pleasant  change  after  the 
monotony  of  a  long  row,  especially  if  the  accommodation  in 
the  boat  is  at  all  limited.  When  the  rope  has  to  be  cast  off, 
it  had  better  be  done  from  the  boat,  and  not  from  the  shore. 
It  should  then  be  coiled  in  neatly  by  the  tower,  ready  to 
throw  to  the  boat  again  if  wanted,  or  to  stow  away  ready 
for  use  on  the  next  occasion.  Never  put  away  a  rope  in  a 
tangle,  which  means  a  great  deal  of  trouble  the  next  time 
you  want  it. 

Always  be  careful  to  see  that  every  thing  you  may  want 
is  in  the  boat  before  you  start.  .  It  is  best  to  have  a  list  for 
this  purpose.     If  you  leave  the  boat  anywhere,  tie  it  se- 


PARTS  OF  A    BOAT,    OARS,    ETC.  203 

curely,  and  turn  the  cushions  upside  down  in  case  of  rain. 
A  rowing-tour  can  be  very  delightful,  and  a  week  spent  in 
this  way  can  include  many  pleasant  things.  Camping  may 
form  part  of  it,  or  stops  may  be  made  at  villages  for  the 
night.  The  Upper  Connecticut  has  been  explored  in  this 
way  by  a  party  of  girls,  who  came  home  sunburnt,  but  run- 
ning over  with  health  and  pure  happiness  from  the  lovely  days 
they  had  had  in  secret  wild  places.  Happiness  and  sound 
health  are  tolerably  certain  to  go  hand  in  hand,  and  plenty 
of  outdoor  life  means  both  one  and  the  other. 


204  HINTS  ON  MAKING  SMALL    COLLECTIONS. 


CHAPTER   V. 

HINTS   ON    MAKING   SMALL  COLLECTIONS. 

The  insects  which  are  generally  collected  by  girls  and  boys 
are  butterflies  and  moths,  and  it  is  to  these  chiefly  that  this 
article  will  be  devoted.  This  preference  arises  from  several 
reasons.  In  the  first  place,  these  insects  are  attractive  in 
themselves,  and  there  is  nothing  repulsive  about  them ;  then, 
many  of  them  are  common,  and  easily  obtained,  and  do  not 
require  the  collector  to  search  all  manner  of  unpleasant  places. 

Perhaps  the  first  fact  which  forces  itself  upon  us  in  con- 
nection with  butterflies  and  moths  is,  that  very  few  know 
exactly  how  to  distinguish  accurately  between  them.  To 
such  people,  a  butterfly  is  a  brightly  colored  insect  which 
flutters  about,  and  leaves  a  quantity  of  feathery  dust  on  your 
hands  when  you  attempt  to  catch  it.  It  is  harmless  and 
pretty.  A  moth,  however,  is  neither.  It  is  a  dingy  insect, 
with  a  propensity  for  devouring  clothes ;  and  grave  doubts 
are  entertained  as  to  its  biting  and  stinging  powers.  Some 
of  the  moth  tribe  bear,  at  first  sight,  a  striking  resemblance 
to  wasps  and  bees  ;  and  it  is  possible  that  the  idea  that  they 
are  able  to  sting  arose  from  this  likeness.  When,  however, 
we  examine  these  insects  more  closely,  we  find  that  the  bodies 
are  covered  with  the  usual  fine,  feathery  powder,  and  that  the 
wings  are  not  transparent  all  over,  as  in  the  case  of  bees.  It 
is,  perhaps,  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  all  moths  and  butter- 
flies are  absolutely  harmless,  and  may  be  handled  with  perfect 
impunity. 


HINTS  ON  MAKING  SMALL    COLLECTIONS.  205 

The  scientific  name  for  moths  and  butterflies  is  lepidoptera, 
or  scale-winged  insects,  and  is  derived  from  the  feathery  pow- 
der before  alluded  to,  which  covers  the  body  (and,  in  most 
cases,  the  wings),  and  under  a  moderately  powerful  micro- 
scope is  seen  to  consist  of  small  scales. 

Most  of  you  must  have  noticed  the  small  ** feelers"  (as 
they  are  sometimes  called)  which  project  from  the  head  of 
an  insect.  These  are  scientifically  called  "  antennae ; "  and 
much  time  and  ingenuity  have  been  employed  in  discussions 
as  to  their  use  to  their  owners.  The  point  is  not  yet  settled. 
But  they  have  a  value  to  the  collector,  as  they  form  the  most 
obvious  distinction  between  a  moth  and  a  butterfly.  The 
latter  have  always  small  knobs  on  the  ends  of  the  antennae ; 
the  former,  never.  There  are  many  other  differences.  A 
moth  often  hides  its  antennae  under  its  wings  :  a  butterfly 
cannot  do  this.  A  butterfly  cannot  fold  its  hind  wings,  but 
sits  with  its  wings  erect  over  its  back  ;  while  a  moth  folds 
the  hind  wings,  and  covers  them  with  the  front  pair,  which 
are  flat  against  any  surface  it  may  be  resting  on. 

It  is  well  known  that  these  insects  pass  through  four  stages 
of  existence,  —  the  ^^'g,  the  chrysalis,  the  caterpillar,  and 
the  perfect  insect  ;  and  in  each  of  these  stages  they  may  be 
sought  for  by  the  collector. 

The  eggs  are  deposited  on  the  trees  or  plants  which  form 
the  food  of  the  future  caterpillar.  They  are  extremely  dif- 
ferent in  shape  and  size,  even  when  belonging  to  insects, 
which,  in  the  perfect  state,  closely  resemble  one  another. 
The  substance  of  the  egg-shell  is  peculiar,  but  alike  in  all 
species.  It  resembles  thin  horn,  and  is  very  tough,  elastic, 
and  pliable. 

This  shell  is  transparent ;  and,  when  the  caterpillar  ap- 
proaches the  time  of  emerging,  its  color  becomes  plainly 
visible.  Before  this  time  the  color  of  the  eggs  is  generally 
pale  green  or  yellow,  but  in  some  cases  pure  white. 


5o6  H/JVTS   OjV  MAKlh'G   SMALL    COLLECTION^, 

When  the  caterpillar  (scientific  name,  larva)  emerges,  it 
often  eats  the  egg-shell  which  it  has  just  left,  and  then  pro- 
ceeds to  its  natural  food.  The  amount  which  it  will  eat  is 
truly  enormous,  —  often  many  times  its  own  weight  in  a  day. 
But  its  life  is  not  one  unbroken  feast ;  for  it  is  subject  to 
periodical  attacks  of  illness,  arising  from  the  fact  that  the 
body  grows  too  large  for  the  skin,  which  must  therefore  be 
got  rid  of.  This  occurs  from  three  to  six  times  during  its 
existence,  and  often  proves  fatal.  We  can  hardly  wonder  at 
this  when  we  consider  that  not  only  does  the  caterpillar  shed 
its  skin,  but  also  a  horny  covering  from  the  head  and  throat, 
and  the  lining  of  its  stomach  and  lungs,  together  with  the 
air-passages  attached  to  the  latter.  It  aids  itself  in  this  sort 
of  moulting  by  spinning  a  small  carpet,  to  which  it  attaches 
itself  by  two  hooks,  with  which  its  last  segment  is  furnished. 
After  the  skin  is  cast,  it  remains  for  some  time  in  a  very 
weak  state ;  but  the  new  skin  soon  attains  the  hardness  of 
the  old  one,  and  the  insect  falls  to  its  food  with  renewed 
appetite. 

Finally  it  changes  to  the  chrysalis,  ox  pupa  as  it  is  usually 
called  by  entomologists ;  and  in  this  state  it  is  either  bare, 
or  enclosed  in  a  silken  cocoon.  The  last  skin  is  found  rolled 
up  inside  the  cocoon.  The  chrysalis  of  a  butterfly  is  found 
in  one  of  three  situations  :  — 

1.  Suspended  by  the  tail,  with  the  head  downwards. 

2.  Attached  to  grass  or  twigs  by  the  tail,  and  also  sup- 
ported by  a  silken  thread  round  the  body  :  in  this  case  the 
head  is  uppermost. 

3.  In  a  silken  cocoon. 

All  these  should  be  sought  for  on  or  near  the  food-plant. 
If  a  wall  is  at  hand,  the  caterpillars  are  very  likely  to  crawl 
up  it,  and  attach  themselves  to  the  under  surface  of  the  pro- 
jection of  the  coping-stone  or  other  masonry.      The  pupae 


HINTS  ON  MAkING  SMALL    COLLECTIONS.  20'jf 

of  moths  are  found  either  in  a  cocoon,  or  unprotected.  In 
addition  to  the  silk,  of  which  the  cocoon  is  spun,  many  spe 
cies  cover  the  outside  with  earth,  bark,  leaves,  etc.  ;  and  this 
renders  it  often  extremely  difficult  to  distinguish  it  from  the 
surrounding  objects.  They  may  be  found  almost  anywhere, 
—  under  moss,  in  decayed  stumps  of  trees,  behind  loose  bark, 
or  between  dead  leaves ;  but  by  far  the  most  important,  and 
those  which  chiefly  interest  the  collector,  are  found  buried 
in  the  earth  at  the  foot  of  trees.  The  caterpillar,  when 
ready  to  effect  the  change,  descends  the  trunk,  and  burrows 
into  the  earth,  where  it  either  spins  a  cocoon,  or  becomes  a 
chrysalis  without  this  protection.  The  search  for  these  is 
called  "  pupa-digging,"  and  should  be  conducted  among 
the  moss  and  loose  leaves  at  the  foot  of  the  tree,  and  in  the 
earth  for  about  four  inches  deep. 

This  is  a  most  excellent  way  of  obtaining  specimens,  but 
you  must  be  prepared  to  undergo  very  many  disappointments 
before  you  become  proficient.  You  must  carefully  examine 
all  the  debris  first,  then  turn  up  the  earth,  paying  special 
attention  to  the  portions  nearest  the  tree.  Each  sod  must 
be  carefully  tapped  with  the  trowel  (pupae  will  sometimes  fall 
from  it  during  this  process) :  it  must  then  be  carefully  torn 
asunder  by  hand,  and  every  portion  of  it  scanned  with  the 
utmost  attention. 

The  north  side  of  a  tree  will  be  found  the  most  produc- 
tive. The  reason  for  this  may  be,  that,  in  descending  the 
tree,  the  caterpillar  avoids  the  wind,  and,  our  prevailing 
wind  being  the  south-west,  he  descends  on  the  north  side. 
This,  however,  is  merely  conjecture  ;  but  the  fact  remains, 
and  is  undoubted.  Solitary  trees  will  be  found  best  for  the 
purpose  ;  and  this  mode  of  collecting  has  the  advantage  ';hat 
it  may  be  carried  on  during  the  winter,  when  neithei  the 
larva  nor  the  perfect  insect  can  be  obtained. 


208  HWTS  ON.MAk'ING  SMALL    COLLtCTlONS. 

The  collector  may,  if  she  pleases,  search  for  eggs  on  the 
leaves  of  the  food-plant,  bearing  in  mind  that  they  are 
almost  always  deposited  on  the  under  side  of  the  leaf.  This 
method  of  collecting  is  by  no  means  easy,  as  the  eggs  are 
with  difficulty  distinguished ;  and  it  is  doubtful  if  it  repays 
you  for  the  trouble  taken.  Moreover,  the  caterpillars,  on 
their  first  appearance,  are  so  small  that  the  difficulty  of 
successfully  rearing  them  is  immense. 

Searching  for  caterpillars  is  a  first-rate  way  of  getting 
specimens,  a.nd  opens  a  large  field  of  operations  to  the  col- 
lector. You  may  search  either  by  day  or  night,  and,  if 
careful,  will  seldom  fail  to  find  a  sufficiency  on  almost  any 
shrub.  The  examination  of  grass  will  also  prove  profitable. 
Much  depends  on  quickness  of  eye,  which  will  wonderfully 
improve  by  practice.  But  there  is  a  method  which  does  not 
demand  such  skill,  and  is  even  more  advantageous  :  it  is 
known  as  **  beating."  The  process  is  carried  on  by  beating 
the  bushes  with  a  stout  stick,  while  an  open  umbrella  is  held 
inverted  beneath  in  order  to  catch  the  falling  larvae. 

In  the  umbrella  will  be  found  a  mixture  of  dead  leaves, 
earwigs,  bits  of  stick,  spiders,  beetles,  and  caterpillars.  The 
latter  must  be  carefully  picked  out,  and  placed  in  boxes  to 
be  taken  home.  The  umbrella  used  for  this  purpose  should 
be  of  some  stout  material,  or  it  will  soon  become  torn  and 
useless.  In  rearing  the  caterpillars  they  must  be  kept  in 
a  cool  place,  well  supplied  with  air :  any  box  covered  with 
gauze  will  answer  the  purpose.  They  must  be  fed  on  their 
proper  food-plant,  which  should  be  gathered  fresh,  and  con- 
stantly changed.  When  they  are  about  to  become  pupae, 
some  earth  and  moss  should  be  placed  in  the  box  for  them 
to  spin  up  in.  The  moss  must  be  boiled,  and  the  earth 
baked,  before  using  it  for  this  purpose.  The  object  of  this 
is  to  destroy  insects,  which  would  feed  on  the  pupae.    These 


HINTS  ON  MAKING  SMALL    COLLECTIONS.  209 

latter  require  no  attention  beyond  keeping  in  a  cool  place, 
out  of  the  reach  of  mice  and  insects :  they  will  come  out 
in  their  proper  season. 

The  great  charm  of  rearing  insects  in  this  manner  is  the 
perfection  of  the  specimens  obtained.  A  moth  or  butterfly 
which  is  caught  is  seldom  absolutely  perfect,  being  generally 
slightly  rubbed,  either  by  the  means  of  capture,  or  from 
some  accident  in  its  previous  life.  Sometimes  one  of  the 
antennae  is  missing,  often  the  wings  are  torn ;  and  these 
misfortunes  become  especially  annoying  when  the  insect  is  a 
rare  one.  Often  common  moths  are  so  rubbed,  that  a  young 
collector  may  easily  mistake  them  for  some  great  prize. 

We  now  come  to  the  methods  employed  in  the  capture 
of  butterflies  and  moths  in  the  perfect  state ;  and  for  the 
former  we  have  only  the  net.  Of  course,  this  instrument  is 
also  adapted  for  taking  the  few  moths  which  fly  by  day,  and 
also  for  their  capture,  under  certain  circumstances,  at  night. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  give  any  description  of  this  well- 
known  instrument.  I  will  merely  remark,  that  a  home-made 
one  is  perfectly  satisfactory.  The  handle  should  be  from 
four  to  five  feet  long :  the  ring  may  be  made  of  stout  iron  or 
brass  wire,  and  bound  to  the  handle  with  waxed  twine.  The 
net  should  be  twice  as  deep  as  the  ring  is  wide,  and,  if  made 
of  any  glazed  or  sized  material,  should  be  well  soaked  to  get 
rid  of  the  stiffness. 

As  soon  as  a  butterfly  is  caught,  it  should  be  rendered 
senseless  by  a  sharp  pinch  under  the  wings.  This  is  done 
through  the  net,  and  the  insect  may  then  be  removed  to  a 
closely-fitting  box  of  tin  or  wood  lined  with  cork.  In  this 
box  should  be  pinned  a  small  bag  of  freshly  bruised  laurel- 
leaves,  which  will  stupefy  and  kill  the  insects  if  they  are  not 
already  dead.  Each  butterfly  must  be  attached  to  the  cork 
by  a  fine  pin :  use  for  this  purpose  a  much  finer  one  than 


2IO  HINTS   ON  MAKING   SMALL    COLLECTIONS. 

the  insect  will  finally  be  set  on,  as  you  can  replace  it  when 
you  get  home  with  one  of  suitable  size. 

Moths  must  not  be  pinched  :  they  are,  as  a  rule,  better 
kept,  each  in  a  chip  pill-box  until  you  return. 

For  the  capture  of  moths  at  night  there  are  several  plans. 
First,  there  are  the  natural  attractions  afforded  by  some 
plants.  I  am  speaking  now  of  the  large  class  of  moths 
called  the  noctuce^  which  contains  more  than  three  hundred 
species.  Among  the  attractive  plants  may  be  mentioned 
honeysuckle,  privet,  nettles,  and  especially  ivy  in  bloom. 
This  last  has  such  a  charm,  that  in  its  neighborhood  it  is 
useless  to  offer  any  other  bait.  When  partaking  of  any  of 
these  sweets,  moths  may  be  captured  with  the  net,  or  even 
boxed,  without  its  aid,  in  one  of  the  chip  boxes  before 
mentioned.     A  lantern  is,  of  course,  indispensable. 

As  these  natural  sweets  appeared  irresistible,  the  happy 
idea  was  originated  of  making  an  artificial  bait  on  the  same 
principle  ;  and  the  following  plan  will  be  found  useful :  — 

The  process  is  called  "sugaring."  Procure  some  of  the 
strongest-smelling  brown  sugar,  —  that  from  the  bottom  of  a 
cask  is  best,  —  and  mix  it  with  beer  or  water  until  a  very 
stiff  sirup  is  formed.  Just  before  using  this,  add  to  it  some 
rum,  —  a  wineglassful  will  be  plenty  for  a  pint  of  the  mix- 
ture. The  mixture  should  be  painted  with  a  brush  on  the 
trunks  of  trees,  in  patches  about  a  foot  square.  This  should 
be  done  about  dusk,  and  the  patches  may  be  visited  at 
intervals  of  half  an  hour.  You  will  see  plenty  of  moths 
imbibing  the  sugar ;  and  they  are  mostly  intoxicated  by  the 
rum,  and  can  be  easily  boxed. 

It  will  be  found  useful  to  fasten  with  a  tin  tack  a  piece  of 
white  card  above  every  patch  of  the  composition.'  You  are 
thus  able  to  see  at  a  glance  where  to  look,  and  it  may  also 
attract  the  moths. 


HINTS  ON  MAKING  SMALL    COLLECTIONS.  2H 

The  sugar  should  be  brushed  on  the  side  away  from  the 
wind  if  there  is  any.  Still,  cloudy,  and  damp  nights  are 
best :  on  moonlight  nights  it  is  no  good  at  all.  You  can 
continue  to  examine  the  sugar  until  ten  o'clock,  or  later. 
But  there  is  another  method  which  can  be  practised  in  the 
evening ;  and  it  is  one  which  you  will  all  know,  though  it 
may  have  been  to  you,  hitherto,  rather  an  annoyance  than 
otherwise. 

I  allude  to  the  attraction  of  a  light.  We  all  know  that 
in  the  summer  evenings,  when  the  lamp  is  lighted  and  the 
window  open,  we  are  constantly  annoyed  by  the  incursions 
of  moths  and  other  insects.  If  you  open  the  windows  wide, 
and  put  the  lamp  near  them,  you  will  have  as  many  as  your 
heart  can  desire ;  and  it  is  no  easy  work  to  secure  them. 
The  net  must  be  used  for  those  which  continue  to  fly  about; 
but  some  settle  down,  and  may  be  boxed  at  once.  You  are 
likely  to  get  a  great  number  of  the  same  species ;  but  you 
will  soon  be  able  to  recognize  them,  even  on  the  wing,  and 
not  employ  your  time  in  the  capture  of  those  of  which  you 
have  already  sufficient. 

There  has  been  much  discussion  on  the  question  of  how 
to  kill  moths,  and  collectors  differ  much  on  this  head.  It  is 
to  the  interest  of  the  collector  (as  well  as  of  humanity),  that 
death,  or,  at  any  rate,  insensibility,  should  take  place  as  soon 
as  possible ;  for  the  specimens  would  injure  themselves  by 
struggling.  I  do  not  like  to  recommend  poisons  to  young 
collectors,  however  safe  they  may  be  in  experienced  hands ; 
and  perhaps  the  laurel-leaf  plan  is  the  best  all  round.  But 
for  some  of  the  larger  moths  it  will  only  cause  stupefaction, 
and  these  should  be  then  killed  by  a  slight  stab  from  a  sharp 
quill  dipped  in  a  saturated  solution  of  oxalic  acid.  Chloro- 
form is  a  favorite  with  some ;  but  it  leaves  the  wingii  stiff, 
and  is  very  expensive,  besides  evaporating  easily. 


212  HINTS  ON  MAKING  SMALL    COLLECTIONS. 

We  are  all  familiar  with  the  appearance  of  a  moth  when 
set  out  in  a  cabinet,  but  it  has  to  undergo  careful  treatment 
before  it  reaches  that  perfection.  It  has  first  to  be  pinned 
with  an  **  entomological "  pin.  These  pins  are  made  for 
the  purpose,  and  must  be  bought.  The  pin  must  be  put  in 
very  straight  and  with  great  care.  Use  too  small  a  one 
rather  than  too  big,  as  a  larger  one  can  at  any  time  be  sub- 
stituted ;  and  no  doubt  the  pin  was  made  to  hold  and  show  off 
the  moth,  and  not  the  moth  to  ornament  and  beautify  the  pin. 

The  insect  is  then  pinned  in  a  groove  in  a  suitably  sized 
"setting  board,"  which  is  simply  a  strip  of  deal  with  a 
groove  to  receive  the  body ;  while  the  wings  are  spread  out 
over  the  wood  at  each  side,  which  should  be  slightly  rounded. 
The  wings  should  be  brought  up  a  little  in  advance  of  the 
head,  and  of  course  must  be  even  with  each  other.  They 
are  to  be  kept  in  position  by  small  triangular  pieces  of  card 
pinned  over  them. 

In  pushing  forward  the  wings,  a  small  piece  of  apparatus, 
which  is  most  easily  made,  is  invaluable.  Take  a  bit  of  cork 
about  the  size  of  a  pea ;  and  run  through  it,  at  right  angles  to 
each  other,  a  pin  and  a  long  bristle ;  then  the  thing  is  done. 
By  sticking  the  pin  into  the  board,  the  bristle  may  be  made 
to  press  on  the  wings,  which  will  hold  wherever  you  put 
them ;  and  they  can  thus  be  easily  coaxed  into  their  proper 
place  by  the  aid  of  a  needle. 

The  antennae  and  legs  must  also  be  set,  and  the  insect 
left  for  some  days  to  harden,  or  "  set  "as  it  is  termed,  tak- 
ing care  meanwhile  that  it  is  in  a  dry  and  airy  place,  and  out 
of  the  reach  of  mice,  wasps,  and  cockroaches.  It  is  then 
ready  for  removal  to  the  cabinet. 

With  regard  to  the  cabinet,  unless  you  can  have  a  good 
one,  have  none  at  all,  and  be  content  with  keeping  your 
insects  in  corked  boxes.     In  either  case  a  plentiful  supply 


HINTS  ON  MAKING   SMALL    COLLECTIONS.  213 

of  camphor  must  be  kept  with  the  specimens,  or  they  will 
soon  fall  a  prey  to  "niites."  This  pest  is  a  plague  of  small 
insects,  which  devour  the  specimen ;  and  their  presence 
makes  itself  known  by  dust  appearing  under  the  moths. 
Mites  may  be  killed  by  inverting  the  drawer  or  box  over 
blotting-paper  soaked  in  naphtha:  it  should  be  left  in  this 
position  for  an  hour  or  two. 

Another  plague  which  attacks  the  specimens  is  called 
"grease."  This  is  caused  by  the  fatty  matter  in  the  bodies 
of  the  moths  extending  over  the  wings,  and  completely  spoil- 
ing their  appearance.  Prolonged  soaking  in  benzine  will  be 
found  a  satisfactory  cure  for  this  unsightly  disorder. 

Many  of  our  butterflies  and  moths  are  very  common,  and 
the  young  collector  will  almost  certainly  get  them  in  her 
first  season.  Others  are  rare ;  and  yet  any  one  may  come 
across  them,  and  of  these  we  have  all  an  equal  chance. 
Indeed,  many  rarities  fall  to  young  collectors,  owing  to  their 
habit  of  catching  every  thing  they  see ;  while  an  older  hand 
might  fancy  that  he  recognized  it  as  something  common, 
and  so  let  it  escape  him.  But  the  insects  which  you  will  be 
unable  to  get  except  by  exchange  are  known  as  "local" 
insects.  These  are  often  common  enough  in  the  place  which 
they  inhabit,  but  are  absolutely  confined  to  that  locality,  or 
to  several  localities  resembling  each  other. 

All  specimens  must  be  carefully  labelled,  and  it  is  not 
hard  to  identify  them  from  the  woodcuts  in  a  book.  I  would 
strongly  recommend  the  use  of  books  with  uncolored  illustra- 
tions :  the  colors  in  others  are  always  wrong,  and  serve  only  to 
mislead.  Any  that  you  are  doubtful  about  you  should  reserve 
until  you  have  an  opportunity  of  comparing  them  with  some 
good  collection,  or  getting  them  named  by  some  authority. 

When  you  have  made  your  collection,  you  will  have  got 
more  than  you  are  quite  aware  of.      You  will  have  accu- 


214  HINTS  ON  MAKING  SMALL   COLLECTIONS. 

mulated  a  store  of  curious  information  about  insects  and 
their  habits,  and  your  own  powers  of  observation  will  have 
been  strengthened  and  sharpened  by  exercise. 

Although  the  butterflies  and  moths  are  the  prettiest,  you 
may  wish  to  go  farther  in  your  researches.  In  this  case 
you  will  probably  extend  your  collection  to  either  beetles  or 
spiders ;  and  both  of  these  classes  arouse  much  enthusiasm 
in  their  collectors.  There  are  also  many  kinds  of  bees  and 
wasps,  though  the  fear  of  getting  a  sting  may  deter  you 
from  the  pursuit  of  these. 

Girls  are  extremely  well  suited  to  this  class  of  work,  as 
they  have,  as  a  rule,  the  delicacy  of  touch  which  is  necessary 
in  handling  the  small  and  fragile  insects  which  must  be 
reared  and  set.  The  pursuit  will  also  encourage  careful  and 
orderly  habits  ;  for,  without  a  great  deal  of  method  and  regu- 
larity, any  kind  of  collection  becomes  mere  confusion.  Nor 
is  the  study  of  insects  without  its  use.  Many  insects  are 
disagreeably  known  to  us  as  preying  on  some  plant  which  is 
useful  or  necessary  to  us  in  our  daily  lives.  Among  such 
may  be  noticed  the  phylloxera,  which  devour  vines ;  the 
locust,  mentioned  in  Scripture  with  such  dread ;  and,  to 
come  to  our  own  country,  the  larva  of  the  cabbage-moth 
and  of  the  currant-worm,  with  many  other  pests  peculiar  to 
special  crops  and  regions.  For  books  which  will  be  great 
helps  in  this  direction  see  p.  412,  413. 

Great  honor  and  reward  await  any  one  who  may  discover 
the  means  of  destroying  these  pests,  or  alleviating  the 
destruction  which  they  cause.  And,  to  show  that  girls  need 
not  consider  themselves  unfitted  for  success  in  this  line,  it 
may  be  mentioned  that  our  greatest  authority  on  the  subject 
is  a  lady.  Miss  Ormerod,  whose  painstaking  investigations 
have  won  for  her  the  admiration  of  all  who  take  any  interest 
in  such  matters. 


THE  AQUARIUM.  21$ 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE   AQUARIUM. 

Nothing  gives  more  pleasure  in  some  ways  than  the  own- 
ership of  either  a  marine  or  fresh-water  aquarium  ;  for,  be- 
sides the  enjoyment  of  watching  the  small  inhabitants,  there 
is  the  even  greater  one  of  collecting  them. 

The  first  thing  to  remember  is,  that  the  artificial  home 
must  be  as  much  as  possible  like  the  real  one  of  the  fish. 
The  high,  narrow  tanks  sold  for  aquaria  are  made  on  the 
worst  possible  plan ;  for  they  give  a  very  small  surface  for 
the  air  to  act  upon,  whereas  there  should  be  as  much  as 
possible.  A  broad,  shallow  tank  will  give  longer  life  to 
every  thing  in  it.  With  a  well-made  aquarium,  where  plant 
and  animal  life  is  exactly  balanced,  the  water  need  never  be 
changed.  An  excellent  size  for  home  use  is  one  24  inches  x 
7  inches  x  16  inches.  This  can  be  made  at  home.  Putty 
will  not  answer  for  cement,  as  it  crumbles  when  long  in 
water.  At  aquarium-stores  one  can  buy  what  is  called  aqua- 
rium cement,  but  the  "  Scientific  American  "  gives  a  rule 
which  makes  an  excellent  one.  Bear  in  mind  this  is  for  a 
fresh-water  aquarium. 

"  Aquarium  Cement.  —  Linseed-oil,  three  ounces  ;  tar, 
four  ounces  ;  resin,  one  pound :  melt  together  over  a  gentle 
fire.  If  too  much  oil  is  used,  the  cement  will  run  down  the 
angles  of  the  aquarium.  To  obviate  this,  it  should  be  tested 
before  using,  by  allowing  a  small  quantity  to  cool  under  water : 
if  not  found  sufficiently  firm,  allow  it  to  simmer  longer,  or 


2l6  THE  AQUARIUM. 

add  more  tar  and  resin.  The  cement  should  be  poured  in  the 
corners  of  the  aquarium  while  warm  (not  hot).  It  is  pliable, 
and  not  poisonous." 

When  the  aquarium  is  firmly  cemented,  an  inch  of  sand 
and  gravel  must  be  put  on  the  bottom.  It  is  best  also  to 
paint  the  back  and  sides  with  green  paint,  as  it  is  sheer 
cruelty  to  have  the  fish  constantly  exposed  to  a  glaring  light. 
If  a  little  rockery  is  wanted  at  one  side,  cement  that  from 
various  pebbles,  but  never  bits  of  coral  or  shells,  as  the  lime 
in  them  is  very  bad  for  fresh-water  fish. 

To  dredge  up  some  water-plants  from  the  nearest  brook  or 
pond  is  the  next  step,  —  starwort,  milfoil,  pond-weed,  blad- 
der-weed, etc.  Sometimes  they  grow  on  bits  of  stone,  but 
usually  you  will  have  to  fasten  the  roots  to  small  stones  with 
a  thread.  Fill  the  tank  with  water,  and  set  it  where  it  will 
get  light,  but  not  strong  sunshine.  It  will  take  about  ten 
days  for  growth  to  start  well,  and  then  you  can  put  in  the  fish. 
Gold  and  silver  fish,  pond-bass,  crawfish,  water-bugs  of  several 
sorts,  tiny  turtles,  little  frogs  and  eels,  all  become  more  or 
less  tame.  Dace,  "killies,"  minnows,  etc.,  may  all  be  added  ; 
but  remember  that  the  dace,  carp,  or  gold-fish  must  be  much 
larger  than  the  perch,  bass,  and  sunfish,  else  they  will  soon 
find  lodging  inside  the  latter,  who  are  always  hungry. 

The  stickleback  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  to  watch. 
He  is  a  hard  worker,  and  very  pugnacious ;  and  whether 
building  a  house,  or  fighting  off  his  enemies,  has  a  business- 
like manner  which  he  never  lose^. 

In  feeding  them,  remember  that  they  all  have  different 
habits  ;  some  being  greedy,  and  some  abstemious.  Bread- 
crumbs answer  for  carp,  dace,  etc. ;  but  very  finely-cut  meat 
or  worms  must  be  given  to  bass,  pickerel,  or  gars.  No  food 
must  be  allowed  to  lie  in  the  water,  as  it  will  contaminate  it. 
Prepared  food  is  sold  at  aquarium-stores,  and  all  of  the  fish 


A   MARINE  AQUARIUM.  21^ 

will  eat  bread.  Crawfish  are  almost  as  amusing  as  hermit- 
crabs.  **  They  pull  up  the  plants,  upset  the  rockery,  nip  the 
ends  off  the  fishes'  tails,  crack  the  mussel-shells,  pull  out  the 
inmates  and  devour  them,  squeeze  the  caddis-worm  from  his 
little  log  house,  and  in  fact  are  incorrigible  mischief-makers." 
Tadpoles,  too,  are  very  interesting ;  and  a  baby-turtle  will  eat 
his  own  weight  in  flies  every  day. 

A    MARINE    AQUARIUM. 

This  is  made  on  much  the  same  plan  as  the  fresh-water 
one,  save  that  there  should  be  a  shallow,  slanting,  false 
bottom.  The  glass  is  set  in  a  grooved  frame,  as  with  the 
first  described ;  but  the  cement  used  is  different,  a  form 
being  given  in  the  "Scientific  American." 

"  Cement  for  Marine  Aquaria.  —  Take  ten  parts  by 
measure,  litharge,  ten  parts  plaster-of-Paris,  ten  parts  dry 
white  sand,  one  part  finely  powdered  resin,  and  mix  them, 
when  wanted  for  use,  into  a  pretty  stiff  putty  with  boiled 
linseed-oil.  This  will  stick  to  wood,  stone,  metal,  or  glass, 
and  hardens  under  water.  It  resists  the  action  of  salt  water. 
It  is  better  not  to  use  the  tank  until  three  days  after  it  has 
been  cemented." 

Clean  cinders  make  very  pretty  rock-work ;  and  it  is  well 
to  build  and  cement  a  small  arch,  through  which  the  fish  will 
dart,  and  against  which  they  can  rub,  using  an  old  oyster- 
shell  for  top-piece.  At  least  an  inch  and  a  half  of  sand  must 
be  put  in  the  tank,  which  is  then  to  be  filled  with  salt  water 
from  the  sea,  and  not  manufactured. 

Let  it  stand  a  day  or  two,  and  then  put  in  your  plants, 
selecting  pebbles  on  which  bright  seaweeds  are  growing. 
Too  much  light  will  kill  them.  The  back  and  sides  may 
better  be  painted  green,  and  never  let  the  sun  strike  directly 
upon  the  aquarium.     Hermit-crabs  and  fiddlers,  with  their 


2l8  THE   AQUARIUM, 

one  big  claw  always  waving  in  protest  or  mischief,  eels,  the 
beautiful  sea-anemones,  will  give  unfailing  pleasure. 

Tadpoles  afford  more  amusement  than  any  other  speci- 
mens, save  hermit-crabs  and  sticklebacks,  but  need  a  vivari- 
um, or  a  tank  which  is  part  earth,  part  water.  I  do  not  know 
of  any  thing  more  interesting  for  the  river  aquarium  or  vi- 
varium than  to  watch  the  metamorphosis  of  the  tadpole 
from  the  spawn  to  the  fully  developed  frog,  toad,  or  lizard. 
The  eggs  may  be  found  in  ponds  or  ditches  during  the 
months  of  March  or  April.  The  following  is  a  drawing  of 
spawn  found  on  the  4th  of  March,  showing  the  different 
stages  of  the  larvae  form. 

First  the  external  gills  appear  (tiny  tufts  on  each  side 
of  the  head),  then  two  legs  sprouting  near  the  tail ;  after 
that,  the  fore-legs  make  their  appearance ;  when  the  tail  is 
gradually  absorbed  into  the  body,  and  the  little  fellow  hops 
nimbly  to  the  nearest  leaf  or  rock,  and  finally  quits  the  water 
altogether.  First,  they  breathe  by  external  gills  ;  secondly, 
by  rudimentary  lungs  and  gills  ;  thirdly,  on  leaving  the  water, 
by  lungs  alone.  In  every  form,  these  erratic  "  wriggle-woggle- 
bobbas  "  are  as  active  as  interesting  ;  not  the  least  so  as  a 
microscopic  object,  the  circulation  of  the  blood  in  the  tail 
being  a  most  exquisite  and  wonderful  sight. 

Do  not  overstock  the  aquarium,  as  then  the  inhabitants 
will  pine  and  die.  Feed  on  finely  chopped  clams  or  oysters, 
or  raw  meat,  or  prepared  food,  with  which  directions  come. 
If  the  water  evaporates,  remember  that  the  salts  in  it  do  not, 
and  simply  make  up  the  loss  with  fresh  water.  Be  careful 
to  skim  out  all  uneaten  food,  and  keep  the  top  covered  with 
glass  to  keep  out  dust.  Stir  the  water  daily  for  a  minute  to 
give  more  air. 

Low  tide  at  the  seashore  will  give  you  many  curious  things. 
Wear  very  old  shoes  (as  salt  water  ruins  good  ones)  and  old 


A   MARINE   AQUARIUM. 


219 


clothes  also.  Carry  wide-mouthed  bottles  or  glass  preserve- 
jars  in  a  basket,  and  use  a  little  dip-net,  which  can  be  made 
of  mosquito-netting.  Barnacles  are  very  interesting ;  for,  if 
you  watch,  they  suddenly  put  out  a  curious  hand-shaped  part 
that  grasps  after  any  thing  near  it.  And  in  a  morning  you 
can  get  enough  of  all  sorts  of  things  for  a  dozen  aquaria. 


Fig.  50. 

Marine  worms  in  these  cases  are  very  brilliant ;  and  you  will 
find  the  fullest  description  of  this  beautiful  sea-life  in  a  book 
by  the  Rev.  J.  G.  Wood,  the  full  title  of  which  is  on  p.  412. 
Where  a  more  elaborate  tank  is  needed,  the  best  form  ever 
made  is  that  of  the  slope-back  tank,  —  an  English  patent,  but 
for  sale  also  in  this  country.  Time,  labor,  money,  and  anxi- 
ety are  saved  by  their  use.  After  many  years'  trial  they 
are  proved  to  be  lasting  and  satisfactory  :  they  enable  the 
greatest  number  of   animals  to  be  healthily  maintained  in 


220  THE  AQUARIUM, 

the  smallest  space,  and  therefore  at  the  least  expense ;  be- 
cause the  water  is  advantageously  spread  outj  not  piled  up, 
and  every  portion  is  turned  to  good  account.  One  great 
secret  of  success  is  the  "  dark-chamber  "  principle.  Every 
tank  is  provided  with  a  sloping  back,  upon  which  the  rockery 
is  cemented,  for  the  accommodation  of  animals,  plants,  and 
that  portion  of  water  visible  to  the  spectator.  The  under 
part  contains  water  in  a  state  of  darkness,  and  therefore  clear- 
ness:  the  two  are  made  to  communicate  by  several  small 
holes ;  so  that  the  circulation  of  water  is  constant,  though 
slow.  When  we  remember  that  an  aquarium  is  a  limited 
portion  of  unchanged  water  containing  animal  and  vegetable 
life,  which  must  necessarily  throw  off  decaying  matter,  the 
extreme  value  will  be  felt  of  a  reserve  store,  within  the  tank 
itself,  of  cool,  clear  water,  which,  being  free  from  corrupting 
animal  and  vegetable  matter,  keeps  up  a  constantly  purifying 
influence  upon  the  fluid  in  front.  Should  the  water  in  the 
outer  chamber  become  foul,  green,  brown,  or  white,  the  pure 
water  behind  may  be  made  to  take  its  place  more  actively 
by  a  small  pump  or  syringe  inserted  in  a  hole  left  in  the 
upper  comer  for  the  purpose.  This  hole  must  be  always 
carefully  covered  with  a  loose  bit  of  stone,  lest  any  animal 
should  enter,  and  destroy  the  object  of  the  under  partition, 
which  is  "  to  allow  no  organic  matter  to  enter,  and  to  let  no 
light  be  admitted  to  it,  so  that  any  water  placed  there  rap- 
idly becomes  deodorized  and  colorless."  This  arrangement 
was  considered  by  Mr.  Lloyd  (in  1861)  next  best  to  having  a 
constant  stream  in  an  aquarium. 

The  engraving  is  a  sectional  view  of  one  of  his  slope-back 
tanks,  "  the  invention  of  which  has  largely  helped  to  revolu- 
tionize aquarium  science." 

a  is  the  dark  water-chamber ;  b,  aquarium  proper ;  r,  plate- 
glass  front ;  d,  glass  cover  in  two  pieces,  fitting  in  a  groove 


A   MARINE  AQUARIUM. 


221 


on  the  top,  leaving  an  inch  of  open  space  to  allow  a  free 
current  of  air ;  e,  hole  for  the  syringe ;  /,  bottom  and  back 
of  slate.  The  two  ends  are  of  the  same  material,  thus  giving 
strength  and  solidity  to  the  whole ;  and,  being  opaque,  they 
prevent  the  admission  of  light  through  the  sides. 

Aquatic  organisms  require  modified  light,  always  obtained 
through  the  surface.  Seas  and  rivers  are  illuminated  in  this 
way ;  and,  as  our 
object  is  to  follow 
nature  as  closely 
as  possible,  those 
tanks  which  have 
three  sides  opaque, 
and  one  only  of 
glass  (reserved  for 
the  observation  of 
the  contents), 
must    be    better 

than  any  other  va-  p,^,  ^^ 

riety. 

Some  of  the  accidents  that  may  happen  are  given  here, 
and  the  rules  that  naturally  made  themselves  as  protection 
against  such  catastrophes. 

First,  a  thunder-storm  turned  the  water  white.  Secondly, 
fish  and  shrimps  jumped  out,  apparently  boiled.  Thirdly, 
•jpecial  pets  died  the  morning  after  a  party.  Fourthly,  the 
sand  became  black.  Fifthly,  stones  fell  down,  and  broke 
the  glass.  Sixthly,  creatures  devoured  or  killed  one  another. 
Seventhly,  weeds  died.  Eighthly,  confervcB  choked  the  tank. 
Ninthly,  the  water  was  often  changed.  Tenthly,  the  climax 
was  reached  by  the  bursting  of  the  largest  bell-glass,  in  a 
most  mysterious  manner,  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning.  All 
I  know  is,  that  on  the  drawing-room  carpet  was  a  hetero- 


222  THE  AQUARIUM. 

geneous  mass  of  frightened  shrimps,  fish,  crabs,  anemones, 
starfish,  sand,  stones,  glass,  and  ten  gallons  of  sea-water.  A 
coroner's  inquest  was  held  on  the  remains.  The  verdict 
returned  (for  want  of  further  light  on  the  subject)  was, 
"  Spontaneous  combustion." 

Now  you  stand  a  much  better  chance  of  success.  Have 
we  not  learned  how  to  avoid  these  calamities } 

1.  Do  not  overstock  the  tank.  Keep  the  animal  life  at  a 
minimum  rate,  leaving  a  margin  for  emergencies. 

2.  Aerate  the  water  in  hot  weather,  always  remembering 
to  syringe  gently,  so  as  not  to  disturb  the  animals,  or  to  stir 
up  the  sediment.     Extreme  cold  also  kills  delicate  animals. 

3.  Dissipation  does  not  agree  with  "  water-babies."  If 
you  have  an  evening  party,  take  them  out  of  the  room  ;  or 
if  that  be  impossible,  and  the  room  becomes  heated  with  fire 
and  gas,  keep  a  wet  cloth  round  the  tank,  throw  open  the 
window  the  last  thing  at  night,  give  a  dose  of  fresh  air  and 
a  few  strokes  with  the  syringe. 

4.  Watch  the  sand  well.  Do  not  allow  any  burrowing 
creature  to  go  away  into  a  cranny  to  die.  Remove  the  first 
speck  of  black,  or  the  least  sign  of  white,  film  that  some- 
times spreads  over  the  bottom. 

5.  Cement  the  rock  work  together  when  possible,  or  use 
clinkers.  Portland  cement  is  sometimes  employed,  or  white 
lead  putty  covered  with  shellac  dissolved  in  naphtha.  Or, 
better  still,  use  a  compound  of  red  and  white  lead,  litharge, 
umber,  and  boiled  oil. 

6.  Make  a  division  of  species.  A  small  tortoise  will  kill 
a  large  gold-fish  ;  fish  eat  tadpoles  ;  tadpoles  eat  any  thing  ; 
sticklebacks  eat  (almost)  every  thing  else  that  does  not  eat 
them  ;  crassies  and  antheas  sting  and  eat  fish,  shrimps,  etc. ; 
shrimps  eat  starfish ;  starfish  eat  young  anemones ;  and  so 
it  goes  round. 


A   MARINE  AQUARIUM.  22$ 

7.  Never  import  plants,  but  allow  them  to  grow  of  them- 
selves, to  purify  the  water,  and  keep  the  animals  healthy : 
grow  enough  for  this,  and  no  more. 

8.  Give  little  light.  Shade  with  blue  blinds  or  screens,  or 
curtains,  and  cover  the  tank  entirely  whilst  the  sun  is  out. 

9.  Choose  the  coolest  and  shadiest  aspect  available  :.  north 
is  the  best,  or  even  underground.  Keep  the  temperature 
from  45°  to  60°  F. ;  but  with  a  stream,  fountain,  or  motion, 
70°  or  even  80°  need  not  be  feared.  Avoid  sunshine,  and 
remove  any  dead  or  decaying  matter.  Keep  a  stick  of  char- 
coal in  the  water :  it  acts  as  a  deodorizer  or  purifier.  Aim 
at  an  even  temperature,  and  avoid  extreme  cold. 

10.  Never  use  a  bell-glass  of  great  size,  but  employ  shal- 
low vessels,  and  tanks  with  only  one  side  of  glass,  and  the 
other  three  opaque,  made  of  some  non-corrosive  substance, 
such  as  enamelled  slate ;  avoiding  all  metallic  materials, 
such  as  bronze,  iron,  lead,  etc. 

11.  Never  change  the  water  :  regard  it  as  an  indestructible 
medium  for  sustaining  life.  Find  out  how  much  it  will  main- 
tain under  given  circumstances ;  keep  that  much,  and  no 
more.  A  small  still  aquarium  can  be  self-sustained  as  well 
as  larger  ones  with  a  large  service  of  water  and  circulating 
machinery. 

12.  The  best  proportion  for  a  tank  is  that  having  the  lar- 
gest surface  and  smallest  depth  proportionate  to  the  size  of 
the  animals.  It  does  not  matter  so  much  how  the  aeration 
is  obtained,  as  long  as  it  is  sufficient. 

For  small  domestic  aquaria,  five  or  ten  minutes*  daily 
attention,  paid  regularly,  is  enough  to  keep  any  well-regu- 
lated tank  in  order.  Besides  this,  I  used  to  give  mine  about 
an  hour  once  a  week.  Skim  the  surface  with  a  cup,  strain 
it  through  muslin,  add  the  amount  of  fresh  watei  necessary 
to  supply  the  loss  by  evaporation,  mix  the  frcsi   well  with 


224  ^^^   AQUARIUM. 

the  salt  water,  and  before  returning  it  to  the  tank  rub  the 
glass  side  or  sides  to  keep  down  the  growth  of  weed,  which 
is  sure  to  obscure  the  glass  unless  frequently  rubbed  off.  A 
bit  of  sponge  or  rag  tied  firmly  around  a  stick  answers  per- 
fectly. For  feeding  anemones,  etc.,  a  small  pair  of  wooden 
forceps  are  desirable.  Never  handle  or  tease  any  of  the 
creatures. 


WALKING-CLUBS  AND   CAMPING   OUT,  22$ 


CHAPTER  VII. 

WALKING-CLUBS  AND  CAMPING  OUT. 

It  is  a  real  walking-club  of,  on  the  whole,  very  sensible 
girls,  whose  experience  follows  here ;  and  it  may  stand  as 
that  of  many  who  have  attempted  the  same  thing,  and  failed. 

There  was  once  a  party  of  girls  who  read  a  certain  fasci- 
nating book  about  gymnastics  and  out-door  exercise,  known 
as  Dr.  Blaikie's  "  How  to  get  Strong,"  and  who  resolved  to 
get  up  a  walking-club.  Eight  members  were  allowed.  They 
chose  an  even  number  as  pleasanter,  because  pairing  off 
exactly.  Twice  a  week,  at  two  in  the  afternoon,  the  eight 
met  and  sallied  forth  ;  and  for  each  excursion  a  leader  was 
chosen,  who  had  arranged  the  route  beforehand. 

The  season  was  autumn,  when  everybody  longs  to  be  in 
the  fields,  or  rustling  through  the  dry  woods  ;  and  the  eight 
discovered  all  the  best  views,  and  all  the  wood-nooks  where 
ferns  bleach  in  the  green  darkness,  and  all  the  hidden  springs 
where  the  brooks  begin  ;  and  they  came  home  laden  with 
trophies. 

Yet  the  club  lived  only  a  month  or  two,  when  it  was  in- 
terrupted by  Christmas-gift  work,  and  never  resumed.  Can 
you  guess  why  ?  Remember,  these  girls  were  not,  as  you 
might  suppose,  of  the  "  fickle  crewe,"  who  take  up  one  pur- 
suit after  another,  only  to  tire  of  each  after  a  short  trial, 
although  a  large  and  thriving  family  of  such  exist  in  the 
land.  They  were  healthy-minded  Massachusetts  girls,  hon- 
estly anxious  to  seek  fresh  life  and  knowledge  from  the  great 


226  WALKING-CLUBS  AND   CAMPING   OUT. 

Store  that  Nature  has  hidden  away  in  the  fields  and  woods 
and  rocks.  The  result  of  their  experiment  discouraged  them. 
Perhaps  they  were  too  easily  discouraged. 

In  the  first  place,  none  of  them  were  accustomed  to  long 
walks ;  for,  like  most  American  girls,  they  had  never  culti- 
vated the  habit.  The  club  began  where  it  should  have  left 
off  (provided  it  left  off  at  all),  —  by  taking  long  tramps  of  six 
or  eight  miles,  from  which  it  returned  tired  almost  to  death, 
although  not  one  of  them  could  have  been  brought  to  say  so  : 
it  is  so  humiliating  to  admit  that  we  have  undertaken  more 
than  we  can  carry  through. 

Our  poor  little  walking-club  fixed  the  hour  of  starting  too 
soon  after  the  mid-day  dinner,  and  some  of  the  members  felt 
pangs  of  indigestion  which  even  the  fresh  air  could  not  cure. 

Their  boots,  which  had  seemed  a  perfect  fit,  shrunk  unac- 
countably after  an  hour's  walking,  and  pinched  their  feet ; 
which  was  bad  enough.  But  one  girl,  whose  little  French 
heels  curled  inward  till  they  ended  under  her  instep,  fared 
worse  ;  for,  in  jumping  over  a  brook,  she  sprained  her  ankle, 
and  suffered  for  weeks  with  the  pain. 

She  never  rejoined  the  club,  for  her  mother  objected  to 
such  violent  exercise  ;  and  I  regret  to  say  that  she  still  wears 
French  heels  on  her  boots.  As  if  the  question  of  boots 
were  never  to  be  settled,  the  untidy  girl  next  had  an  adven- 
ture, although  it  should  be  added  that  adventures  were  very 
common  in  her  career.  One  layer  of  sole  on  the  untidy  girl's 
boot,  after  being  wet  in  a  swampy  place,  split  off  all  along 
the  toes,  and  flapped  up  and  down  as  she  walked.  She  stuck 
it  together  with  a  gumdrop ;  but,  as  you  may  imagine,  the 
remedy  was  not  complete,  and  the  remainder  of  the  walk  was 
a  failure.  The  untidy  girl  wore  a  flounced  skirt,  not  very 
stout,  nor  securely  sewed ;  and  she  seldom  returned  to  town 
without  some  lamentable  tatters. 


WALKING-CLVBS  AND   CAMPING   OUT.  22^ 

But  hers  was  an  example  without  followers ;  for  most  of 
the  club  wore  plain  skirts,  which  did  not  easily  tear  nor  soil, 
made  sufficiently  full  to  enable  them  to  jump  a  ditch,  or  climb 
a  fence,  if  the  necessity  arose. 

Little  by  little  the  girls  lost  enthusiasm,  and  felt  less  in- 
clination for  the  inevitable  effort  required  to  take  them 
through  the  long  tramp  marked  out.  The  result  of  over- 
exertion had  been,  as  it  always  is,  a  loss  of  muscular  strength 
rather  than  a  gain ;  and  the  girls  found  themselves  at  the 
end  no  better  walkers  than  they  were  when  they  started. 

To  make  of  your  walking-club  a  lasting  success,  a  few 
practical  resolves  are  necessary  :  — 

Wear  broad-soled,  low-heeled,  stout  boots,  that  fit  easily, 
but  not  too  loosely,  and  your  feet  will  not  swell,  nor  your 
back  ache,  after  the  exercise  is  over.  Begin  moderately,  and 
increase  your  number  of  miles  gradually ;  for  muscles  must 
be  trained  by  slow  degrees  to  unaccustomed  work.  English 
girls,  as  nearly  every  one  knows,  are  good  walkers,  and  think 
nothing  of  a  ten-mile  stretch  in  a  morning  before  lunch  ;  but 
of  course  they  have  been  trained  to  it  from  childhood.  The 
climate  of  England  is  more  favorable  to  walking  than  ours, 
—  more  moist  and  equable.  It  is  therefore  necessary  to  warn 
those  who  mean  to  emulate  their  British  cousins,  that  they 
must  avoid  overheating,  the  danger  of  sunstroke,  and  the 
chill  that  strikes  into  the  very  marrow  sometimes,  while  rest- 
ing, after  exertion,  on  the  summit  of  a  hill  where  the  keen 
breeze  sweeps  unchecked. 

Unless  girls  are  satisfied  simply  to  be  abroad  in  the  fresh 
air,  they  will  want  some  object  or  employment  in  these  per- 
petual long  walks  ;  and  nothing  will  better  keep  their  enjoy- 
ment fresh  than  botanizing,  geologizing,  or  the  study  of 
entomology.  The  many  treasures  of  the  woodland — ferns, 
cones,  lichens,  bits  of  fungous  growth  —  may  all  be  used  to 


228  WALKING-CLUBS  AND    CAMPING   OUT. 

beautify  your  homes ;  and  the  process  by  which  it  may  be 
done  is  described  in  the  following  chapter. 

Or  if  you  have  bottled  up  your  animal  spirits  in  a  school- 
room all  the  morning,  until  uncorking  has  become  a  neces- 
sity, the  lonely  fields  offer  a  clear  space  for  a  healthy 
romp. 

A  walking-club  grows  naturally,  like  any  healthy  organiza- 
tion, and,  from  short  tramps  about  the  neighborhood,  expands 
into  longer  excursions,  even  into  walking-tours  covering  a 
week's  time,  and  more. 

Where  a  prolonged  trip  is  planned,  each  girl  should  put 
what  she  needs  for  the  journey  in  a  shoulder-bag,  which 
means  simply  a  small  satchel  hung  by  a  long  strap  from 
the  shoulder.  Carry  nothing  that  is  not  essential,  for  even 
a  small  weight  borne  constantly  will  grow  irksome. 

A  tour  of  this  kind  is  one  of  the  pleasantest  outings  that 
can  be  devised  by  a  party  of  lively  girls.  In  its  slow  prog- 
ress the  members  of  the  club  learn  the  country  thoroughly  ; 
and,  if  they  desire  to  make  collections,  there  is  plenty  of 
time.  Powers  of  observation  develop,  which  lend  an  inter- 
est to  the  lowliest  object,  and  will  fill  with  events  the  least 
adventurous  day.  Passers-by  along  the  road  look  kindly 
upon  the  little  party ;  and  at  the  farmhouses  the  women  are 
glad  to  offer  draughts  of  foamy  milk,  listening  with  wonder 
and  amusement  to  the  history  of  the  walking-club,  which 
will  long  be  repeated  by  the  firesides  of  the  neighborhood. 

The  nights  may  be  spent  in  different  towns  on  the  route, 
in  which  case  a  careful  calculation  is  necessary,  making  sure 
that  the  distance  allowed  for  each  day  is  not  too  much,  and 
leaves  a  margin  for  possible  accidents. 

More  liberty  is  permitted  where  the  party  arranges  to 
camp  out,  and  starts  supplied  with  food,  blankets,  and  the 
-Other  essentials  for  camping.     In  this  case  the  club  may  calJ 


WALKING-CLUBS  AND    CAMPING    OUT.  229 

a  halt  when  it  pleases  ;  the  only  requisites  for  a  camp  being 
solitude,  kindling-wood,  and  a  neighboring  spring. 

It  is  best  that  in  camping  out  the  club  should  be  provided 
with  a  parent  or  an  older  brother,  both  for  the  help  of  a 
strong  arm  in  struggling  with  natural  difficulties,  and  in 
order  that  anxious  friends  may  be  re-assured.  But  that  it  is 
possible  for  girls  to  go  alone,  without  danger  or  annoyance, 
has  been  proved  by  more  than  one  pioneering  party,  —  nota- 
bly that  of  the  girls  who  "  did "  the  North-Carolina  moun- 
tains last  summer  (1882). 


230  LIGHT  GYMNASTICS, 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

LIGHT   GYMNASTICS. 

It  is  so  well  understood  that  health  and  happiness  depend 
on  bodily  vigor,  that  no  girl  of  the  present  age  can  afford 
to  be  ignorant  of  the  value  of  gymnastics.  Our  maiden  can, 
either  alone  or  with  one  or  more  friends,  arrange  a  course 
of  games  and  exercises  which  will  send  the  currents  of  life 
tingling  joyously  through  her  veins,  bring  a  sparkle  to  her 
eye,  and  a  glow  to  her  whole  being,  such  as  can  come  only 
through  the  easy  play  of  every  organ  and  muscle.  She  will 
understand,  also,  why  the  fragility  of  the  past  is  no  longer 
recognized  as  a  mark  of  refinement  and  beauty. 

In  order  to  practise  gymnastic  exercises  properly,  the 
amateur  will  use  a  dress  with  a  French  waist,  worn  without 
a  corset,  and  the  belt  two  inches  longer  than  the  waist- 
measure  when  the  lungs  are  fully  expanded.  The  armholes 
are  to  be  large  and  easy ;  the  skirts  suspended  from  the 
shoulders,  and  not  quite  reaching  the  ankles ;  and  every 
part  of  the  clothing  fitted  so  free  that  there  is  absolutely 
no  restraint  on  any  portion  of  the  person.  Equipped  in  this 
way,  gymnastics  will  be  greatly  enjoyed  during  those  winter 
storms  when  open-air  exercise  is  impossible. 

One  of  the  best  games  invented  by  Dr.  Dio  Lewis,  who 
has  do«e  so  much  to  make  these  exercises  popular,  is  the 
throwing  of  bean-bags.     These  are  made  out  of  strong  bed 
ticking,  eight  inches  square,  filled  about   two-thirds  full  of 
well-washed  beans,    The  gymnasts  arrange  themselves  in  two 


LIGHT  GYMNASTICS.  23 1 

rows,  face  to  face,  and  six  feet  or  more  apart.  While  count- 
ing in  unison  i,  2,  3,  4,  or  with  some  one  playing  a  simple, 
strongly  marked  air  on  the  piano,  at  a  given  signal  all 
"throw  and  catch,"  each  with  her  opposite  neighbor;  the 
bag  thrown,  not  tossed,  from  a  position  on  a  level  with  the 
chin.  The  movements  may  be  gradually  quickened,  and  a 
friendly  contest  maintained  by  each  couple  trying  to  outdo 
the  others  in  number  of  throws.  As  a  variation,  throw  the 
bag,  with  arms  stretched  at  full  length  above  the  head,  or 
from  behind  the  neck ;  all  giving  grand  exercise  to  the 
muscles  of  the  upper  portion  of  the  body,  and  developing 
those  of  the  chest.  Learning  to  throw  and  catch  with  the 
left  hand  is  an  amusing  feat  ;  also  forming  a  circle,  and  each 
player  throwing  the  bag  to  her  neighbor  on  the  right  with 
the  hand  on  that  side,  at  the  same  time  catching  that  thrown 
by  the  player  with  that  on  the  left.  Any  number  of  inter- 
esting games  can  be  devised  by  our  ingenious  youths. 

Exercises  with  wands,  rings,  dumb-bells,  and  Indian-clubs, 
are  almost  numberless.  In  most  of  these,  the  floor  needs  to 
be  marked,  —  if  carpetless,  with  a  small  blotch  of  paint ;  if 
carpeted,  by  some  white  cloth  sewn  to  measured  distances 
(which  are  to  be  four  feet  and  a  half  either  way),  or  by  cer 
tain  figures  on  the  carpet  itself.  In  using  rings  these  are 
ignored,  since  the  toes  of  the  players  are  to  touch  ;  but  in 
cases  where  exactness  is  required,  the  heels  should  be  plant- 
ed on  either  side  this  spot  so  marked. 

Rings,  about  five  inches  across,  are  used  by  two  persons, 
each  clasping  the  same  pair  by  both  hands,  and  '*  see-sawing," 
by  thrusting  one  hand  out  horizontally  to  the  full  length  of 
the  arm  while  drawing  the  other  forward  to  the  chest,  with 
the  feet  moving  backward  and  forward  in  the  same  manner. 
To  vary  this  movement,  swing  the  arms,  joined  by  the  rings, 
hand-clasped  as  before,  alternately  up  and  down,  or  side- 


2 $2  LIGHT  GYMNASTICS. 

ways,  meanwhile  stamping  out  firmly  with  each  foot,  corre 
sponding  in  movement  with  the  arm  above,  with  the  heels 
touching  when  drawn  to  the  mark  on  the  floor.  Too  many 
movements  to  be  described  can  be  improvised,  exhilarating 
in  proportion  to  the  interest  and  spirit  of  the  gymnasts  and 
the  music  with  which  they  keep  time.  These  must  not  be 
languid  and  lagging,  or  the  grace  and  value  of  the  sport  is 
lost. 

Wands,  or  straight,  smooth  sticks,  four  feet  long  and  an 
inch  in  diameter,  are  useful  to  cultivate  flexibility  of  the 
joints  of  the  arm  and  shoulder,  and  to  give  symmetry  to 
the  upper  portion  of  the  body.  The  veteran  gymnast.  Dr. 
Lewis,  who  introduced  the  wand,  used  it  in  no  less  than 
sixty-eight  different  movements,  none  of  them  severe  for  the 
most  delicate  person.  One  of  the  best  is  to  grasp  it  with 
extended  hands,  and  carry  it  back  and  forth  over  the  head, 
changing  this  to  diagonal  motions  over  either  shoulder.  Or 
each  couple,  by  seizing  the  extremities  of  two  wands,  can 
invent  a  long  series  of  exercises,  each  terminating  by  march- 
ing while  holding  the  wand  in  positions  that  are  changed 
according  to  the  step. 

Dumb-bells  made  of  wood,  and  very  light,  are  used  in 
various  ways.  Sometimes  the  girl,  standing  perfectly  up- 
right, extends  her  arms  horizontally,  with  palms  of  the  hands 
outward.  At  the  next  bar  of  music  she  raises  them  straight 
over  her  head,  back  to  the  first  position,  then  drops  them 
to  her  side.  Or  she  raises  them  at  right  angles  with  the 
body,  then  up  and  down.  The  beauty  of  all  these  move- 
ments consists  in  the  perfect  accord  of  the  players,  and  the 
zest  with  which  they  enter  into  the  sport. 

A  thick  cord  of  strong  india-rubber,  with  wood  handles 
to  stretch  over  the  back  and  head,  is  a  tonic  to  the  muscles, 
and  increases  the  strength  of  the  arms.     A  ring  fastened  by 


LIGHT  GYMNASTICS, 


233 


a  strong  rope  to  a  beam  in  the  ceiling  is  often  used  by  the 
amateur  to  draw  up  the  body  by  the  hands.  None  of  these 
games  should  be  carried  to  extremes,  and  so  need  not  be 
exhausting.  They  lose  their  value  when  they  cease  to  be 
amusements  ;  though  they  are  really  productive  of  health,  a? 
of  entertainment,  when  undertaken  with  zest  and  discretion 


Part  Third. 
OCCUPATIONS  FOR  PLAY  OR  PROFIT. 


CHAPTER   I. 

SEWING   AND   DOLL'S   DRESS-MAKING. 

Sewing  as  it  is  generally  learned  is  always  a  great  bug- 
bear to  a  child,  who  is  often  made  to  sew  an  hour  or  more 
on  a  dreary  "  over-and-over "  patchwork-square.  The  sew- 
ing-schools in  our  great  cities  have  come  to  be  much  more 
cheerful  places  than  the  room  at  home  where  tired  and  fret- 
ful little  bodies  knot  their  thread,  and  grow  crosser  and 
crosser  with  every  stitch.  In  the  sewing-school  there  are 
songs  that  describe  all  the  things  that  must  be  done,  from  a 
hem  or  a  fell  to  a  patch,  and  a  set  of  questions  to  which  an- 
swers are  made  in  concert ;  Mrs.  Louise  J.  Kirkwood's  little 
sewing-primer  giving  them  all,  with  many  hints  that  mothers 
or  older  sisters  would  do  well  to  copy.  Any  little  girl  must 
be  patient,  and  willing  to  learn  ;  but  very  soon  she  will  take 
real  pleasure  in  her  work,  above  all  when  it  comes  to  Christ- 
mas or  birthday  gifts,  or  to  doll's  dress-making.  Here  are 
some  hints  for  the  teacher. 

If  a  child  does  not  succeed  satisfactorily  at  first  with  an 

over-and-over  seam,  do  not  insist  upon  keeping  her  at  it 

until  she  is  exact.     She  will  have  to  sew  upon  many  a  patch, 

perhaps,  before  she  can  make  the  stitches  small,  even,  and 

a34 


SEWING   AND   DOLL'S  DRESS-MAKING.  235 

close.  But  try  her  with  a  hem  or  a  back-stitch  :  she  will  be 
growing  used  to  handling  the  needle ;  and,  after  one  or  two 
trials  of  this  sort,  she  will  go  back  to  the  over-and-over 
seam  with  fresh  interest. 

Straight  Lines.  —  Draw  a  line  with  a  lead-pencil  on  the 
strip  of  muslin  which  has  been  hemmed,  and,  with  the  needle 
threaded  with  red  cotton,  show  her  how  to  stitch  along  the 
line.  The  red  cotton  will  be  a  novelty,  and  the  pencil-mark 
a  new  feature  :  she  will  be  very  likely  to  follow  it  to  the  end 
with  real  pleasure. 

Outline  Pictures.  —  Draw  some  straight  lines  in  the 
form  of  a  house  or  a  barn,  make  the  outlines  of  a  crooked 
tree  by  the  doorway,  make  a  chicken  with  two  or  three  flow- 
ing feathers  in  its  tail,  make  a  man  with  a  rake  in  his  hand, 
above  all  things  make  an  old  lady  with  a  high  cap  on  and  a 
cane  in  her  hand,  and  you  will  never  have  trouble  to  keep 
the  little  ones  busy. 

They  will  very  cheerfully  hem  round  a  square  in  the  most 
painstaking  manner,  they  will  even  struggle  patiently  with  a 
fell  seam  across  it,  if  at  the  end  you  will  but  promise  to  draw 
a  dear  old  grandmother  with  a  cap  and  cane,  that  they  may 
stitch. 

Then,  too,  you  may  write  the  child's  name  and  age  in  a 
fair,  clear  hand  :  you  may  add  a  motto,  or  some  short  line. 

Get  her  to  hem  in  a  neat  patch  in  a  piece  of  cloth  :  she 
will  be  proud  to  stitch  her  initials  on  it.  Any  thing  of  such 
personal  interest  she  will  work  at  very  gladly,  and  will  all 
the  while  be  growing  more  and  more  skilful  with  her  needle, 
and  captivated  with  its  possibilities  ;  thus  travelling,  if  not  a 
royal  road  to  knowledge,  at  least  a  very  pleasant  one. 

A  child  who  has  learned  all  the  forms  of  plain  sewing,  and 
wants  to  do  nice  work  for  her  dolls,  ought  to  have  good 
sharp  scissors,  a  low  table  or  little  lap-board  for  cutting, 


236  SEWING   AND   DOLL'S  DRESS-MAKING. 

plenty  of  pins  for  pinning  patterns  to  material,  and  a  well 
stocked  work-basket, — all  on  condition  that  everything  is 
kept  in  order  in  its  place.  The  chair  must  be  low,  so  that 
the  feet  rest  comfortably  on  the  floor ;  and  hands  and  nails 
must  be  clean,  so  that  the  thread  need  not  be  blackened.  In 
plain  sewing,  the  stitches  used  are  overhanding,  hemming, 
running,  back-stitching  or  stitching,  gathering,  overcasting, 
buttonhole,  herringbone,  feather-stitch,  and  darning. 

Work  should  always  be  carefully  basted ;  as,  if  this  is  not 
done,  the  sewing  will  pucker  it,  and  probably  it  will  have  to 
be  ripped  out.  In  the  sewing-primer  already  mentioned,  the 
questions  and  answers  include  a  careful  description  of  every 
stitch,  cuts  of  which  are  given  here. 

doll's  dressmaking. 

A  doll  is  a  nice  present  for  any  child,  but  is  worth  far 
more  if  prettily  dressed,  and,  above  all,  not  only  with  clothes 
that  can  be  taken  off  easily,  but  with  plenty  of  them  ;  so  that 
dolly  can  have  her  own  little  washing  and  ironing,  and  her 
bureau-drawers  or  trunk  in  beautiful  order.  Nightgowns 
are  often  forgotten,  and  the  poor  dolls  obliged  to  sleep  in 
their  clothes.  We  begin,  then,  with  the  nightgown  ;  the 
little  diagrams  given  here  being  hints  for  the  shape.  Pat- 
terns for  doll's  clothes  are  sold  now  in  several  sizes  by 
the  pattern  manufacturers,  and  can  be  had  of  the  Domestic 
Sewing-Machine  Company,  and  several  fashion  magazines, 
"  Harper's  Bazaar,"  and  others. 

Nightgown.  —  Get  some  fine  cotton  cloth  to  commence 
with,  Lonsdale  cambric  being  the  best.  Always  use  fine 
stuff  of  every  sort ;  for,  the  dolls  being  so  small,  the  clothes 
sit  very  badly  if  made  of  thick  material.  Cut  out  the  front 
and  back,  as  at  Nos.  i  and  2  ;  then  the  shoulder-piece.  No.  3 ; 
then  run  the  front  and  back  together  under  the  arm,  gather- 


DOLVS  DRESS-MAKING. 


m 


HilHHHHHHHmHHHHll^^ 


Fig.  52.  — Basting. 


Fig.  53.  —  Ovkrhanding. 
Showing  the  seam  opened,  and  on  the  right  side. 


/ 


^<J 


ED 


Fig.  54. —Hemming.  Fig.  55.  — Running. 

Showing  the  stitches  on  the  right  side  of  hem.        Showing  running-stitches,  with  the  needle  in 
with  the  needle  in  position.  position. 


Fig.  56.  — Felling. 
A  fell  seam,  showing  the  first  line  of  sewing  finished,  the  edges  turned  under,  and  partly  hemm« 


Fig.  57.  —  Stitching. 


Fig.  58.  — Back-stitching, 
Showing  the  needle  in  position. 


238 


SEWING  AND  DOLL'S  DRESS-MAKINC. 


Fig.  59. — Gathering 

Showing  gathering  stitches,  with  the  thread  drawn, 

and  the  needle  in  position. 


Fig.  60.  —  Overcastincs. 


Fig.  61.  — Herringbone  Stitches. 


Fig.  62.  —  Feather  Stitches. 


~yj  o  u  u  u  •''^ 


I 


I 

Fig.  63.  — Showing  a  Patch 
darned  in. 


Fig.  64.  —  Stocking-Darn. 


Fig.  65.  — a  Tear 

DARNED. 


ing  the  back  into  the  shoulder-pieces ;  then  join  them  over 
the  shoulder ;  then  put  on  them  a  small,  narrow  band, 
slightly  gathering  the  fronts  into  it,  putting  the  pieces  at  the 
back  in  plain  ;  and  then  the  sleeves,  No.  4.  The  trimming 
is,  of  course,  according  to  fancy.  Some  insertion  up  the 
front,  with  very  narrow  ruffles  up  each  side,  looks  very 
nicely,  also  tatting  or  crochet;  indeed,  any  thing  of  the 


DOLL'S  DRESS-MAKir^G, 


239 


sort.     But  it  certainly  looks  better  trimmed.     A  great  im- 
provement to  the  nightgown  is  to  cut  the  fronts  too  broad 


Fig.  66. —Nightgown. 

across  for  the  doll,  and  run  narrow  tucks  down  to  the  waist ; 
but  this  is,  of  course,  more  difficult,  as  the  tucks  want  to 
be  run  very  evenly. 

Chemise.  — A  doll's  chemise  is  a  very  easy  thing  to  make. 
Cut  out  in  fine  cotton  or  cambric  two  pieces  in  the  shape  of 
Fig.  6'j  ;  run  them  neatly  together,  and  down  the  sides,  and 
over  the  shoulders  ;  then  cut  the  front  open  a  little  way 
down.  Hem  the  neck  and  sleeves  all  round  with  a  very 
narrow  hem,  and  make  a  broad  one  round  the  bottom  of  the 
chemise.  If  trimming  is  required,  a  little  lace  round  the 
neck  and  sleeves  makes  a  pretty  finish. 


Fig.  67.  —  Chemise. 


Fig.  68,  —  Drawbrs. 


240  SEWING   AND   DOLL'S  DRESS-MAKING. 

Drawers.  —  Next  the  drawers.  Cut  out  two  legs  similar 
to  the  pattern  given.  Run  them  up ;  then  join  the  legs  to 
gether  just  at  the  top  in  front,  only  running  them  a  very 
short  way  down  ;  then  make  a  very  narrow  hem  round "  each 
leg,  and  a  nice  broad  one  at  the  bottom.  Gather  them  into 
a  band,  putting  a  button  or  strings  to  it.  A  little  lace- 
edging  round  the  legs,  or  two  or  three  narrow  tucks,  look 
very  nicely. 

Waist  for  the  Petticoat.'  —  A  flannel  petticoat  is,  of 
course,  a  very  easy  thing  to  make.  A  piece  of  fine  white  or 
red  flannel  herring-boned  round  the  bottom,  and  gathered 
into  a  band  at  the  waist,  with  buttons  or  strings,  is  required. 
For  most  of  the  underclothes  I  should  recommend  very 
small  pearl  buttons,  strings  are  so  untidy.  The  white  or 
upper  petticoat  should  be  made  of  white  cambric  or  twill, 

Fig.  69 —Waist  for  the  Petticoat. 

rather  full,  with  a  broad  hem  at  the  bottom  ;  and  a  good 
deep  tuck  makes  the  frock  stand  out  well.  The  waist  can 
be  made  in  two  ways,  either  off  the  skirt,  or  on  ;  but  it  is 
decidedly  the  best  to  sew  it  on.  Cut  it  in  three  pieces, 
as  in  Fig.  69 ;  join  them  together  under  the  arm  ;  make  a 
hem  at  the  top  of  each  of  the  pieces  and  the  bottom  ;  then 
sew  the  skirt  (which  must  be  gathered)  on  it,  and  run  draw- 
ing-strings in  it. 

Now  that  we  have  finished  the  under-linen,  we  must  begin 
about  the  dresses.  Never  make  them  of  a  thick  stuff,  and 
always  be  sure  to  choose  a  small  pattern,  or,  better  still,  no 


DOLL'S  DRESS-MAKING. 


241 


pattern  at  all.  Unless  the  doll  is  very  large,  it  is  always 
best  to  make  a  low-necked  waist,  as  it  is  so  difficult  to  make 
the  neck  set  well. 


Fig.  70.  —  Neck  of  Waist. 


rz:] 


Waist  for  Dress. — The  skirt  is,  of  course,  as  easy  as 
possible  to  make,  —  simply  to  run  the  seams,  and  make  a 
broad  hem.  A  low-necked  waist  should  be  made  in  this 
way :  a  long,  narrow  piece,  with  a  place  cut  out  for  the 
sleeves  (see  Fig.  70)  ;  hem  up  the  backs ;  then  cut  out  the 
sleeves,  as  in  No.  2  ;  run  the  seams  of  the  sleeves,  and  then 
sew  them  into  the  armholes,  pla- 
cing the  seam  of  the  sleeve  even 
with  that  of  the  body ;  gather 
the  other  end  of  the  sleeve  into 
a  little  narrow  band  ;  gather  the 
body  at  the  top  and  the  bottom 
into  narrow  bands.  Some  white 
lace  in  the  sleeves  and  neck  fin- 
ishes it  off  very  nicely,  and  a 
sash  always  looks  pretty. 

The  best  way  of  making  a 
high  waist  is  to  cut  it  out  simi- 
lar to  the  patterns  given  in  Nos.  3  and  4.  Stitch  them  to- 
gether under  and  over  the  arm.  Cut  out  the  sleeves,  as  at 
No.  5,  and  sew  them  in  the  armhole,  keeping  the  seam  well 
round  to  the  back.  Then  put  a  very  narrow  band  on  the 
neck.  Hem  up  the  backs,  and  put  some  tiny  hooks  on,  and 
make  the  loops. 


Fig.  71  —Waist  for  Dress. 


242 


SEWING   A  AD   DOLL'S  DRESS-MAKING, 


Apron.  —  The  prettiest  kind  of  apron  is,  I  think,  at  No.  i. 
This  must  be  cut  in  four  pieces,  —  the  front,  No.  2;  the 
backs,  as  at  No.  3  ;  and  the  apron,  No.  4.  Then  join  the 
front  and  backs  over  the  arms,  also  the  apron  and  bib ;  then 
hem  the  backs,  and  all  round  the  apron  and  the  armholes 
and  neck,  making  these  hems  narrower.  Stitch  a  piece  of 
tape  along  the  front  and  along  both  of  the  backs,  through 
which  run  the  string,  and  also  run  one  round  the  neck.  A 
lace-edging  all  round  the  apron  and  round  the  armholes 
looks  very  nicely.  This  sort  of  apron  is  best  made  in  diaper 
or  fine  linen  :  if  the  latter,  substitute  white  braid  for  lace 
edging. 


m  BiTr^ 


n 


Fig.  72. —  Apron. 


Fig.  73. — Another. 


Another  Apron.  —  Another  sort  of  apron  is  made  by 
cutting  out  a  plain,  long  front,  as  at  No.  5  ;  and  back,  as  at 
No.  6.  Join  them  under  and  over  the  arm,  and  hem  it  all 
round,  running  a  string  round  the  neck.  It  may  be  left 
plain,  or  gathered  in  at  the  front,  putting  a  small  ornamental 
piece  on  in  front,  trimmed  with  narrow  lace. 

Jackets.  —  Jackets  are  almost  the  hardest  thing  to  make 
for  dolls,  especially  if  they  are  made  of  velvet  or  a  thick 
cloth.  The  best  material  to  make  them  of  is,  of  course, 
black  silk.  Cut  the  fronts  out  as  at  No,  i,  and  the  back  as 
in  No.  2  ;  the  sleeves.  No.  3.  Then  it  is  better  to  bind  it 
all  round  with  braid,  which  sits  better,  and  is  less  clumsy, 
than  a  hem. 


i 


DOLVS    DRESS-MAKING, 


243 


Fig.  74.  —  Jackets. 


Dresses  for  China  Dolls.  —  The  best  way  to  make 
little  china  doll's  dresses  is  all  in  one.  A  long,  straight 
piece  joined  at  the  back,  and  hemmed  round  the  bottom  ,• 
two  holes  cut  for  the  arms,  and  then  turned  down  at  the 
neck,  and  gathered,  drawing  it  up,  not  tightly  round  the 
neck,  but  just  on  to  the  shoulder,  so  that  you  can  fasten  it 
off,  and  yet  leave  room 
to  pass  it  over  the 
head.  Tie  a  sash 
round  the  waist,  and 
the  doll  is  dressed. 
A  petticoat  made  in 
the  same  way  is  all 
that  is  required.  Any 
thing    else    does    not 

sit ;  the  dolls  being  so  small,  it  makes  them  look  simply 
like  a  bundle  of  clothes.  A  cloak  is  the  best  thing  for  this 
sort  of  dolls  for  an  outdoor  garment.  Cut  this  in  the  shape 
of  a  half-moon,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  straight  side  cut 
out  a  small  piece  for  the  neck.  Make  this  in  red  merino,  01 
some  soft  thin  material,  and  bind  it  round  with  narrow  black 
ribbon,  without  an  edge.  Hats  can  be  made  on  a  shape 
made  with  cap-wire,  and  then  trimmed  ;  but  a  very  good 
plan  is  to  get  the  lid  of  a  pill-box  (of  course  it  must  fit  the 
doll's  head),  and  cover  it  with  black  velvet,  and  it  makes  a 
charming  little  turban-hat. 

I  have  not  as  yet  said  a  word  about  boy-dolls.  There  is 
but  one  way  in  which  they  can  be  made  to  look  nicely,  —  I 
mean  big  dolls. 

Boys*  Knickerbockers.  —  A  dark-blue  serge,  black  vel- 
vet, or  (if  in  summer)  holland,  are  the  best  stuffs  to  make 
them  of.  I  give  a  pattern  of  the  knickerbockers  at  No.  i, 
Fig.  75.     Each  leg  must  be  run  up,  and   then   joined   to- 


244 


SEWING    AND    DOLVS   DRESS-MAKING. 


gether  at  the  top,  making  a  hem  round  the  bottom,  in  which 
run  some  elastic.  It  is  a  very  good  way  to  sew  them  on  to 
a  broad  elastic  band,  which  will,  of  course,  stretch ;  so  that 
the  knickerbockers  can  be  taken  off  and  on. 


Fig.  75.— Bovs'  Knickerbockers. 


Fig.  76.  —  Trousers. 


A  tunic  is  the  best  thing  to  make  for  boy-dolls  ;  and  it  is 
best  to  cut  it  in  two  pieces,  as  in  No.  2,  Fig.  75.  Join 
the  sides  together,  and  hem  it  round  the  bottom.  Put  in  the 
sleeves,  and  cut  an  opening  down  the  front,  so  that  it  may 
be  put  over  the  doll's  head.  It  is  best  to  bind  it  with  nar- 
row braid  round  the  neck,  and  down  the  front,  which  must 
be  buttoned  with  tiny  buttons ;  and  then  put  a  band  round 
the  waist. 

The  men  in  the  doll's  house  are  very  hard  to  dress ;  and  it 
is,  I  think,  almost  impossible  to  make  their  things  to  come 
off  and  on.  The  shirt  must,  of  course,  be  thought  of  first. 
But  there  is  no  necessity  to  make  a  whole  shirt,  —  merely  a 
front,  with  two  pieces  to  pass  over  the  back.  A  small  collar 
must  be  attached  to  this,  under  which  must  be  passed  a  nar- 
row piece  of  ribbon  to  form  a  tie.     The  trousers  must  be  cut 


COSTUME    DOLLS, 


245 


in  two  pieces  (Fig.  ^6),  and  joined.  The  waistcoat  is  simply 
two  pieces  crossed  over  from  the  back,  with  two  or  three 
buttons,  which  are  easily  made  with  bits  of  black  silk  sewed 
up  into  little  rounds  to  imitate  them.  The  coat  is  made  in 
the  same  way  exactly  as  the  one  I  described  for  the  big  doll, 
of  course  altered  as  to  size.  It  does  not  do  to  make  either 
the  shirt  or  the  waistcoat  entirely,  as  it  makes  the  coat  sit 
so  badly. 

COSTUME    DOLLS. 

Normandy  Peasant.  —  The  underclothing  for  this  cos- 
tume should  be  full,  and  reaching  just  below  the  knees ;  the 
dress  petticoat  of  red  merino  or  delaine,  trimmed  with  three 
rows  of  narrow  black  velvet  at  equal  distances,  and  just  a 
little  longer  than  the  under  petticoat ;  black  velvet  bodice, 
with  long  points  behind  and  before,  cut  square,  and  laced 
up  the  front ;  white  muslin  sleeves,  coming  just  below  the 
elbow,  left  loose,  and  rather  full ;  white  muslin  half-handker- 
chief crossed  upon  the  chest  and  over  the  bodice ;  muslin 
apron  with  pockets;  gold  beads  round  the  neck,  and  gold 
cross  ;  long  gold  ear-rings  ;  a  rosary  hung  from  the  left  side  ; 
thick  shoes  and  white  stockings,  or,  if  it  is  a  china  doll,  the 
feet  can  be  painted  to  imitate  them. 


Fig.  77. 


If  you  are  dressing  a  small  china  doll,  take  for  the  cap  a 
piece  of  stiff  white  writing-paper  about  an  inch  and  a  half  to 


246  SEWING  AND  DOLL'S  DRESS-MAKING. 

an  inch  and  three-quarters  in  depth.  For  the  length,  meas 
ure  round  the  doll's  head,  allowing  a  little  piece  on  each  side 
to  admit  of  the  paper  being  bent  up  the  back,  as  in  Fig.  "jj. 
Cover  the  paper  with  muslin,  and  trim 
round  the  forehead  and  up  the  ends  with 
very  narrow  lace.  Sew  up  the  cap  at  the 
bend  in  the  paper  ;  fill  up  the  top  to  form 
the  crown  with  muslin  gathered  in.  Press 
out  the  flaps  behind  until  they  present 
this  appearance  (Fig.  jZ). 

This   completes   the   costume.     If  the 
Fig.  78.  ^^^    ^^    larger,   of   course   the   height   of 

the  cap  must  be  increased,  as  it  is  the  chief 
characteristic  of  the  dress. 

Italian  Peasant. — The  underclothing  is  the  same  as 
for  the  Normandy  peasant,  except  being  a  little  longer. 
Dress-skirt  of  blue  or  any  bright-colored  merino,  trimmed 
with  three  or  four  rows  of  different  colored  braids,  either 
vandyked,  or  straight  round  the  skirt ;  bodice  of  black  vel- 
vet, with  small  basque  behind,  cut  low  in  the  neck,  and 
open  stomacher  laced  across  with  braids  to  match  the  skirt ; 
the  neck  of  the  bodice  to  be  trimmed,  with  a  muslin  tucker  ; 
white  muslin  sleeves  to  the  wrist,  either  open  or  closed  ;  black 
velvet  ribbon  round  the  neck,  with  a  cross  hanging  on  the 
chest ;  a  rosary  hung  from  the  left  side  ;  thin  black  shoes 
and  white  stockings. 

If  the  doll  is  the  same  size  as  the  Normandy  peasant,  take 
for  the  cap  a  piece  of  white  writing-paper  about  two  inches 
in  length  and  an  inch  and  a  half  in  width.  Place  it  on  the 
doll's  head  lengthwise ;  then  bend  the  paper  so  as  to  make 
it  fall  close  to  the  back  of  the  head.  Cover  the  paper  with 
muslin,  and  trim  round  with  lace.  The  cap  may  be  kept 
in  shape  by  drawing  your  thread  tightly  from  the  crown  to 
the  top  of  the  flap  behind,  of  course  from  underneath. 


COSTUME  DCLLS.  247 

The  costume  is  now  complete.  If  you  are  dressing  china 
dolls,  the  best  thing  to  fasten  caps  on  to  the  head  is  liquid 
glue. 

Spanish  Dancer.  —  The  underskirts  are  very  short,  and 
several  of  them  made  of  tarlatan,  and  pinked  out ;  muslin 
drawers,  wide  and  very  full.  The  dress  may  be  made  of  any 
bright-colored  silk  or  satin,  trimmed  with  black  lace  flounces, 
and  short.  The  bodice  should  be  a  low  square,  and  sleeves 
to  the  elbow,  trimmed  with  lace  to  match  the  skirt.  On  the 
hands  there  should  be  long  mittens  ;  and  in  the  hair  a  high 
comb  and  red  rose,  with  a  black  lace  mantilla  thrown  over 
the  comb,  and  fastened  on  the  side  with  the  rose.  Either 
boots  or  shoes  may  be  worn,  bronze  or  gold-color. 

Marquise  Dress. — To  show  off  this  dress  the  doll  should 
be  of  good  size.  Make  the  underclothing  —  consisting  of 
chemise,  flannel  petticoat,  white  petticoats  —  all  very  nice, 
and  very  much  trimmed.  For  the  dress-petticoat  have  a 
piece  of  white  or  rose-colored  satin  trimmed  across  the  front 
with  lace ;  for  the  train,  a  handsome  piece  of  brocaded 
satin,  trimmed  up  the  sides  and  round  the  train  with  lace. 
The  bodice  is  cut  square  behind,  and  sleeves  to  the  elbow, 
trimmed  with  lace.  There  should  be  a  stomacher  made  of 
the  same  material  as  the  skirt-petticoat,  all  made  of  the 
same  brocade  as  the  train.  Shoes  with  high  heels,  roisettes, 
and  silk  stockings. 

To  make  the  doll  complete,  she  should  have  long,  straight 
hair,  which  must  be  rolled  back  from  the  forehead  on  a 
cushion  ;  and  the  hair  from  the  back  of  head  must  be  rolled 
up  on  another  cushion,  with  a  long  curl  hanging  from  the 
left  side,  with  a  flat  bow  in  the  hair  to  match  the  skirt.  The 
hair  must  be  powdered,  and  on  the  face  two  or  three  black 
patches,  —  one  on  the  forehead  toward  the  left  side  ;  one  on 
the  chin,  to  the  right ;  and  one  on  each  cheek.  This  com- 
pletes the  dress. 


2^6        FIFTY  CHRISTMAS-GIFTS  FOR  SMALL  FINGERS. 


CHAPTER  II. 

FIFTY  CHRISTMAS-GIFTS  FOR  SMALL  FINGERS. 

The  accompanying  gifts  have  been  chosen  from  a  list  of 
two  or  three  hundred,  and  many  more  could  have  been  added, 
equally  pretty  and  desirable.  There  are  books  on  needlework 
of  every  sort,  one  or  two  of  which  are  mentioned  on  p.  411. 
But  every  ingenious  girl  will  be  likely  to  think  out  some  ori- 
ginal present  for  herself,  one  success  being  always  sure  to 
suggest  another. 

SPECTACLE-WIPERS. 

These  are  easy  gifts  for  little  fingers  to  make,  and  they 
will  please  a  grandmother  or  grandfather  very  much.  Cut 
two  round  pieces  of  chamois-skin  an  inch  and  a  half  across. 
Bind  each  around  the  edge  with  narrow  ribbon  of  any  color 
you  wish,  and  fasten  the  two  together  at  one  side  with  a 
pretty  bow. 

This  little  present  will  be  useful  as  long  as  it  lasts,  and 
that  will  be  a  long  time. 

BABY-SHOE    PENWIPER. 

Cut  out  of  black  cloth  four  circles  three  inches  wide,  and 
pink  the  edges.  Fold  each  one  across ;  then  fold  it  again,  so 
that  the  shape  is  like  a  quarter-circle.  Take  a  baby's  shoe 
of  red  or  blue  morocco,  and  fill  it  with  the  folded  circles, 
placing  them  so  that  the  pinked  edges  project  at  the  top. 

A  pair  of  shoes  will  make  two  penwipers,  and  they  are 


LEAF  PENWIPER.  249 

very  pretty.     If  liked,  the  shoe  can  be  fastened  to  a  larger 
circle  of  pinked  broadcloth. 


Fig.  79.  —  Baby-shoe  Penwiper. 


LEAF    PENWIPER. 


Choose  a  pretty  maple  or  oak  leaf  for  the  pattern  of  your 
penwiper,  and  select  cloth  of  a  color  that  will  suggest  the 
leaf,  —  reddish-brown  for  an  oak,  or  yellow  for  maple.  Take 
a  paper  pattern  of  the  leaf  by  laying  it  on  stiff  paper,  tracing 
the  outline  with  a  pencil,  and  then  cutting  it  out  with  a  pair 
of  scissors.  Cut  out  two  leaves  of  your  brown  or  yellow 
cloth,  and  three  inside  leaves  of  chamois-skin  or  broadcloth. 
If  you  like,  you  can  imitate  the  veins  of  a  leaf  by  embroi- 
dering them  with  silk  in  stem-stitch  on  the  upper  leaf  of 
the  penwiper. 


250        FIFTY  CHRISTMAS-GIFTS  FOR  SMALL  FINGERS, 


SHAVING-PAPER   CASE. 

Tissue-paper  makes  the  best  shaving-paper :  so  you  will 
want  to  buy  a  half-dozen  sheets  of  different  colors.  For  a 
pattern  you  can  take  a  leaf,  as  you  did  for  the  leaf  penwiper ; 
but  a  large  grape-leaf  is  of  better  size  for  the  shaving-case. 

Take  a  pattern  of  the  grape-leaf,  and  cut  out  two  covers 
of  green  cloth  or  silk,  the  edges  of  which  must  be  neatly 
bound  or  overcast.  Fold  the  sheets  of  tissue-paper  four  or 
six  times,  until  they  are  about  the  size  of  the  pattern  ;  then 
cut  them  out  carefully,  and  fasten  them  between  the  covers 
of  your  case.  At  the  stem  of  the  leaf  sew  a  loop  of  ribbon, 
by  which  it  may  be  hung  on  a  knob  of  papa's  bureau,  or  from 
the  side  of  the  shaving-glass. 

GARTERS. 

These  are  presents  to  be  made  only  by  little  girls  who  can 
knit ;  but,  if  any  little  girl  wishes  to  learn,  a  pair  of  garters 
is  good  to  practise  on,  and  makes  a  very  nice  present.  They 
are  prettiest  knit  of  some  bright  color. 

In  their  simplest  form  they  are  knit  in  one  long  strip, 
which  is  wound  round  and  round  the  leg,  and  the  end  tucked 
in.  But  an  improvement  is  to  make  a  loop  in  the  strip, 
through  which  the  end  of  the  garter  may  pass  before  it  is 
tightened.  And  this  is  the  way  to  do  it :  set  up  twenty 
stitches,  and  knit  plain  till  the  garter  is  twelve  inches  long. 
Take  off  ten  stitches  on  a  third  needle,  and  keep  on  knitting 
with  the  remaining  ten  for  twenty  rows ;  then  go  back  to 
the  stitches  left  behind,  and  knit  twenty  rows  on  them  ;  take 
all  the  stitches  on  one  needle  again,  and  you  will  see  that  a 
loop  has  been  made.     Knit  twenty  rows,  and  bind  off. 


TURTLE   CLOVES. 


251 


Fig.  80. 


"Polly,  put  the  Kettle 

ON." 


"POLLY,  PUT  THE  KETTLE  ON. 

To  make  a  kettle-holder,  some  pieces  of  thick  material, 
like  an  old  blanket  or  bit  of  broadcloth,  are  needed.  Cut 
them  into  squares  measuring  eight  inches,  and  fasten  them 
together.     Make  a  cover  of   scarlet   flannel,  and  bind  the 

edges  with  braid  of  the  same 
color,  leaving  a  loop  at  one  corner 
to  hang  the  holder  up  by. 

Take  a  paper  pattern  of  the 
kettle  by  laying  thin  paper  over 
a  drawing  of  one,  and  tracing  its 
outline.  Cut  out  a  kettle  of  black 
cloth,  and  lay  it  on  the  holder, 
exactly  in  the  middle,  where  it 
must  be  neatly  hemmed  down.  If 
you  know  Iiow  to  do  cross-stitch  letters,  you  can  work  above 
and  on  the  left  hand  of  the  kettle  the  words,  "  Polly,  put,'* 
and  below  and  on  the  right  hand  of  the  kettle  the  word, 
"on  ;"  then,  all  together,  it  will  read,  *'  Polly,  put  the  kettle 
on." 

TURTLE    CLOVES. 

For  these  turtles  take  very  large  plump  raisins,  and  six 
cloves  to  each.  Push  a  clove  far  into  the  end  of  the  raisin, 
until  only  the  bud  is 
seen.  This  makes  the 
head.  Put  two  cloves 
on  each  side  for  the 
feet ;  and,  for  the  tail, 
work  the  bud  end  in 
first,  and  let  only  a  lit- 
tle of  the  pointed  end 
stick  out.  Small  cakes 
ing  on  each,  are  an  exciting  Christmas-cake. 


Fig.  81.  —Turtle  Cloves. 


frosted,  with  a  raisin  turtle  stand- 


252         FIFTY  CHRISTMAS-GIFTS  FOR   SMALL   FINGERS. 


ANOTHER   GIFT  WITH   CLOVES. 

Choose  a  small  and  very  firm  apple,  a  Spitzenberg  being 
best.  At  least  an  ounce  of  cloves  will  be  needed.  Begin 
at  the  blossom-end,  and  push  the  points  into  the  apple  as 
closely  together  as  possible,  till  it  is  perfectly  covered.  Such 
an  apple  has  a  very  mysterious  look,  like  some  curious 
foreign  nut,  and  will  last  all  winter. 

PRETTY   SCENT-CASES. 

Buy  an  ounce  of  sachet-powder,  violet  or  what  scent  you 
please,  and  sprinkle  it  between  two  layers  of  cotton- wadding 
cut  in  strips  five  inches  long  and  two  inches  wide. 

Make  a  little  bag  of  silk  or  satin  of  any  color  (three  inches 
long,  two  inches  wide),  and  fringe  the  top.  Roll  up  the 
strip  of  wadding,  and  place  it  in  the  bag,  which  must  then 
be  tied  just  below  the  fringe  with  narrow  ribbon  of  the 
8ame  color. 

ENGLISH  WALNUT   SCENT-CASES. 

Make  a  little  silk  bag  three  inches  and  a  half  square,  and 
fill  with  cotton-wool  thickly  sprinkled  with  sachet-powder. 
An  even  teaspoonful  is  a. good  rule.  Carefully  halve  two 
English  walnuts  by  forcing  the  points  of  your  scissors  into 
the  soft  end.  You  must  make  a  hole  top  and  bottom  of 
each  half,  which  is  best  done  with  a  red-hot  hairpin.  Var- 
nish, and  set  them  in  a  warm  place  to  dry.  When  thor- 
oughly dry,  they  are  ready  to  be  sewed  on  the  bag,  at  equal 
distances  apart,  with  their  points  reaching  almost  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  bag.  Sew  a  tiny  bow  above  each  walnut,  and 
another  at  the  bottom  of  the  bag,  which  should  be  gathered 
in  with  a  thread.  Around  the  mouth  of  the  bag  wind  a 
ribbon,  and  tie  it  into  another  tiny  bow.  These  are  very 
gay  little  bags. 


DRA  WN-  WORK.  253 

Another  use  for  English  walnuts  is  in  making 


WALNUT    BOATS. 

Take  a  half-shell  of  the  walnut,  and  glue  a  slender  mast 
near  the  pointed  end,  to  which  you  may  fasten  a  sail  made 
of  gold  or  silver  paper,  doubled. 

BUREAU-COVERS. 

Java  canvas,  in  white,  buff,  or  pale  blue,  may  be  used.  Be 
sure  to  see  whether  the  bureau  to  be  trimmed  has  a  flat  top, 
or  one  with  drawers  on  either  side ;  for  the  shape  of  your 
mats  will  depend  on  the  shape  of  the  bureau.  On  a  flat  top 
a  long  cover  looks  best,  with  two  square  mats  for  toilet  bot- 
tles, placed  on  either  side  of  the  pincushion.  A  pincushion- 
cover  of  the  same  material  completes  the  set. 

Leave  a  margin  all  around  the  mat  for  fringe,  and  work 
some  simple  border  in  worsted.  Blue  or  red  worsted  with 
white  canvas,  brown  with  buff,  cardinal  and  gold-color  with 
blue,  are  good  combinations  of  color. 

The  pincushion-cover  may  be  further  ornamented  with  a 
monogram  or  initials  worked  in  the  middle. 

DRAWN-WORK. 

Bureau-covers,  as  well  as  table-covers,  tea-cloths,  chair- 
backs,  towels,  and  tidies,  are  often  made  of  linen,  and  deco- 
rated with  what  is  known  as  drawn-work. 

For  a  bureau-cover  buy  a  yard  and  a  half  of  fine  linen 
crash,  either  white  or  gray. 

Leave  six  inches  for  fringe  at  either  end.  Cut  the  sel- 
vage-thread up  from  one  end  for  ten  inches,  thus  cutting 
all  the  cross-threads  in  that  space.  Draw  out  the  last  thread 
cut.  By  pulling  carefully,  it  will  hold  until  you  have  drawn 
the  linen  all  across  to  the  other  edge ;  and,  by  cutting  the  sel- 


254  FIFTY  CHkISTMAS-GIF7'S  FOR  SMALL  FINGERS. 


FiG.  82.  —  Drawn- Work. 


J>RAlVN-lVOJ^A\ 


^SS 


Fkj.  83.  —  Dkawn-Work. 


2S6        FIFTY  CHRISTMAS-GIFTS  FOR  SMALL  FINGERS. 

vage-thread  on  that  side  up  to  the  drawn  thread,  your  meas- 
urement will  be  alike  on  both  sides.  Now  draw  out  all  the 
cross-threads  below  the  one  first  drawn,  for  a  space  two 
inches  deep.  The  threads  running  lengthwise  in  this  space 
must  be  gathered  in  little  sheaves,  which  is  done  by  hem- 
stitching top  and  bottom.  Some  one  who  knows  will  show 
you  how  to  hemstitch  more  easily  than  the  book  can  do. 
Ribbon  of  a  color  to  match  the  furniture,  a  little  narrower 
than  the  drawn  space,  is  woven  through  the  sheaves,  over 
two  and  under  two,  and  hemmed  at  the  two  ends. 

Now  fringe  out  the  ends,  and  hemstitch  the  top,  but  make 
the  threads  into  bigger  sheaves  this  time,  —  ten  or  twelve  in 
each.  Examine  the  knotted  fringe  on  a  towel  or  a  shawl, 
and  you  will  see  how  to  knot  the  fringe  of  your  cover. 

Chair-backs  or  tidies  are  made  in  the  same  way.  Some- 
times three  spaces  of  different  widths  are  drawn,  with  rib- 
bons of  different  color  run  through  ;  and  the  chair-backs  are 
more  ornamental  when  a  stamped  pattern  is  embroidered  in 
outline-stitch  in  the  centre.  Outline-stitch  or  stem-stitch 
is  extremely  simple,  being  almost  the  same  as  the  back- 
stitch taught  in  the  chapter  on  plain  sewing ;  and  an  artistic 
design  worked  in  silk  or  etching-crewels  makes  the  simple 
linen  tidy  an  object  of  beauty. 

Linen  table-covers  are  made  either  in  the  shape  of  a  long 
scarf,  to  fit  a  narrow  table,  or  square,  like  the  ordinary  cover. 
The  former  are  made  precisely  like  the  bureau-cover:  for 
the  latter,  wide  butcher's  linen  is  used,  the  length  being 
equal  to  the  width.  Fringe  and  draw  the  four  sides,  and 
ornament  each  corner  with  long  graceful  bows  of  the  ribbon 
that  is  run  through  the  drawn-work. 

Tea-cloths  should  be  made  of  somewhat  finer  linen,  which 
now  comes  expressly  for  such  purposes.  They  are  of  the 
size  of  a  large  dinner-napkin,  and  are  meant  to  be  laid  at 


CROCHETED   MATS  FOR    WASHSTAND  AND    TABLE.      257 

the  head  of  the  tea-table,  or  to  cover  a  tea-tray.  The  fringe 
is  shorter  and  finer  than  that  of  the  covers  before  described  ; 
and  it  should  not  be  knotted,  but  plain.  The  drawn-work 
should  be  fine  and  narrow  ;  and,  instead  of  running  ribbon 
through  the  sheaves,  fine  tidy-cotton  is  braided  through  in 
the  stitch  called  fagotting,  in  which  the  needle  lifts  every 
other  sheaf  back  over  the  one  preceding,  and  draws  the  cot- 
ton through  in  such  a  manner  as  to  keep  the  sheaves  twisted. 
The  prettiest  tea-cloths  have  a  delicate  design  traced  in  out- 
line-stitch, either  in  each  of  the  four  corners,  or  in  a  run- 
ning pattern  around  the  sides. 

CROCHETED  MATS  FOR  WASHSTAND  AND  TABLE. 

Any  girl  who  knows  how  to  crochet  may  make  these  very 
useful  gifts.  For  the  washstand  five  mats  complete  the 
set,  —  a  large  round  mat,  for  the  wash-bowl ;  two  smaller,  for 
the  little  pitcher  and  the  mug ;  and  two,  which  may  be  oval, 
for  the  soap-dish  and  brush-tray.  Two  balls  of  white  tidy- 
cotton  No.  8  make  a  set. 

Start  with  a  chain  of  five  stitches,  loop  it,  and  crochet 
around,  widening  often  enough  to  keep  it  fiat.  When  the 
mat  has  reached  the  proper  size,  finish  it  off  with  a  border  of 
loops  in  three  rows  of  long  crochet  arranged  in  groups  with 
a  dividing  loop.  The  first  row  should  have  three  stitches  in 
a  group ;  the  second,  four ;  and  the  third,  five.  The  mats 
must  be  washed,  starched  very  stiff,  and  ironed. 

Mats  for  the  table  are  made  in  the  same  way ;  but  an  im- 
provement is  to  crochet  them  over  lamp-wicking,  which 
increases  the  stiffness. 

Two  large  oval  mats  for  the  soup-tureen,  and  fish  or  meat 
platters,  and  four  round  ones  for  vegetable-dishes,  usually 
make  up  the  set ;  but  small  mats  for  gravy-dish,  pitchers, 
etc.,  may  be  added  if  desired. 


^5^        FIFTY  CtiRISTMAS-GtFTS  FOR  SMALL   FINGERS. 


PANSY    PINCUSHION. 

The  best  way  to  make  one  is  to  take  a  real  pansy,  and  copy 
it  as  nearly  as  possible. 

Suppose  you  choose  the  old-fashioned  kind,  with  two  purple 
upper  petals,  and  three  yellow  lower  petals.     Cut  out  two 

pasteboard  shapes  as 
nearly  like  the  flower 
as  you  can  make  them, 
but  at  least  twice  the 
size  (or  follow  diagram 
given),  and  cover  the 
upper  half  of  each  with 
purple  velvet,  and  the 
lower  half,  which  must 
contain  the  three  yel- 
low petals,  with  yellow 
silk  to  match. 

Lay  the  two  shapes 
together,  and  overseam 
the  edges,  leaving  a 
small  open  space 
through  which  to  stuff 
the  pincushion.  For  this,  use  snips  of  worsted,  crowding  it 
tightly  into  every  corner  to  make  all  hard  and  firm.  Your 
next  task  is  to  draw  the  pansy's  features  in  stitches  of  black 
and  yellow  silk,  copying  nature  as  best  you  can.  This  is 
good  practice  for  the  eye ;  and  the  result  is  likely  to  be 
3etter  than  if  you  followed  a  pattern  in  a  book. 


Fig  84  —Pansy  Pincushion. 


PARASOL    PENWIPERS. 


Buy  the  smallest-sized  lead-pencil  for  sale,  provided  with 
an  ivory  or  ornamented  tip,  and  sharpen  the  point.     Cut  a 


PRESENTS  IN  BlRCH-BARK.  2$g 

circle  of  silk,  and  another,  rather  smaller,  of  thin  black  cloth  : 
scallop  the  edges,  and  make  a  tiny  hole  in  the  middle  of 
each.  Fit  the  sharpened  point  of  the  pencil  into  these 
holes,  taking  care  that  the  silk  is  outside  the  cloth  ;  and  then, 
by  creasing  and  folding,  persuade  the  circles  to  take  the 
shape  of  a  closed  parasol,  winding  silk  around  to  secure  them 
in  place,  as  a  strap  is  arranged  to  keep  the  parasol  closed. 
Cut  a  paper  pattern  first,  and  trim  it  to  fit  the  length  of  your 
lead-pencil,  before  cutting  the  silk  and  cloth  circles. 

WORK-CASES. 

In  old  times  these  were  called  **  housewives,"  as  grandma 
will  tell  you,  should  you  make  one  for  her.  Almost  any  firm 
material  can  be  used  for  making  them.  But  here  is  a  very 
pretty  pattern.  Take  gray  or  yellow  Java  canvas,  twelve 
inches  long  and  seven  wide,  with  a  bright-colored  silk  for 
lining.  Feather-stitch  the  canvas  down  both  sides,  and  across 
one  end,  leaving  space  to  turn  in  the  edges.  Baste  on  the 
lining,  and  finish  the  edges  neatly  by  turning  in  and  blind- 
stitching  ;  or  bind  them  with  ribbon  to  match  the  silk  lining. 
The  feather-stitched  end  is  then  pointed  by  turning  down  the 
corners,  and  sewing  them  together.  Turn  the  lower  end  up 
about  four  inches  to  form  a  bag,  and  sew  the  sides  together 
firmly.  Make  a  loop  at  the  point,  and  sew  a  button  on  the 
outside ;  so  that  the  case  may  be  rolled  up  and  fastened. 

PRESENTS    IN    BIRCH-BARK. 

Birch-bark  is  easily  obtained ;  and  numberless  pretty  things 
may  be  made  out  of  this  soft  and  flexible  material. 

A  few  are  suggested  here,  and  your  invention  will  help  you 
to  more.  Think  of  some  other  useful  and  pretty  gifts  besides 
the  letter-cases,  wall-baskets,  glove-boxes,  napkin-rings,  hand^ 
kerchief-cases,  portfolios,  and  table-mats,  that  may  be  con- 
structed of  birch-bark. 


26o        FIFTY  CHRISTMAS-GIFTS  FOR  SMALL   FINGERS. 

There  are  two  ways  of  using  the  bark ;  but  in  all  cases  a 
pasteboard  shape,  like  the  article  to  be  made,  must  be  first 
cut  out.  This  shape  may  be  covered  with  a  thin,  smooth 
piece  of  bark  lined  with  silk,  and  the  edges  bound  with  bright 
ribbon.  Or  the  bark,  of  the  exact  shape  to  be  covered,  is 
cut  in  strips,  united  at  one  end,  and  ribbon  is  woven  across 
the  strips,  and  fastened  neatly  at  either  end.  The  paste- 
board is  then  covered  with  the  braided  bark,  lined  with  silk 
to  match  the  ribbon,  and  the  edges  bound  as  before.  Bows 
of  ribbon  finish  the  dainty  present. 

STRAW   WALL-BASKET. 

Little  girls  who  can  work  patiently  may  make  a  very  pretty 
basket  out  of  straw  braided  with  ribbon,  if  mamma  will  give 
a  little  help.  Select  a  number  of  smooth,  perfect  straws. 
Cut  a  half-circle  of  pasteboard,  nine  inches  long,  and  make  a 
row  of  small  holes  around  the  edge,  half  an  inch  apart.  Cut 
a  strip  of  the  pasteboard  a  little  less  than  half  an  inch  wide 
and  nine  inches  long,  and  make  small  holes  in  it  one  inch 
apart.  Cut  a  second  strip  sixteen  inches  long,  and  treat  it 
in  the  same  way  Now  take  a  straw  twelve  inches  long,  and 
fit  one  end  into  the  middle  hole  of  the  short  strip  of  paste- 
board, and  the  other  end  into  the  middle  hole  of  the  half- 
circle's  straight  edge,  letting  the  straw  project  about  two 
inches  below.  The  half-circle  forms  the  bottom  of  the  bas- 
ket, and  you  are  beginning  to  make  the  back,  which  is  flat, 
and  hangs  against  the  wall.  On  either  side  of  the  middle 
straw  insert  a  straw  three-quarters  of  an  inch  shorter ;  and 
so  proceed  until  all  the  holes  are  filled,  and  the  pointed  back 
is  complete.  The  holes  must  be  small  enough  to  keep  the 
straws  in  place  without  other  fastening. 

The  rounded  front  of  the  basket  is  made  by  fitting  straws 
in  the  same  way  into  the  longer  strip  of  pasteboard,  and  the 


FEATHER  SCREENS.  26 1 

rounding  edge  of  the  half-circle ;  all  the  straws  being  six 
inches  in  length.  Fasten  the  two  ends  of  the  long  strip 
firmly  to  the  ends  of  the  short  strip.  Sew  blue  chenille  over 
the  pasteboard  edges  wherever  they  show,  and  weave  blue 
ribbon  in  and  out  of  the  straws  that  make  the  basket-front. 
Run  ribbon  once  across  the  back,  following  the  outline  of 
the  point,  and  an  inch  from  the  edge.  Make  a  bow  in  the 
middle.  Girls  of  fourteen  or  fifteen,  who  have  a  brother  with 
a  jack-knife  to  help  them,  might  make  beautiful  and  more 
durable  baskets  in  the  same  way,  by  using  strips  of  fine  bam- 
boo, or  cane  (which  can  be  obtained  at  a  Japanese  store),  in 
place  of  the  straw. 

FEATHER   SCREENS. 

The   making   of    screens   and   fans   in   feathers    is    both 
pleasant  and  ornamental  work. 

To  make  a  screen,  begin  as 
follows :  mould  a  piece  of  wire 
into  the  shape  of  a  heart,  and 
cover  this,  by  means  of  a  needle 


Fig.  85. —  Feather  Screen.  Pig.  86.  —  Feather  Screen. 

and  thread,  with  dark-colored  gauze  or  tarlatan.     Round  the 
edge  of  this  frame  fasten  a  row  of  peacock's  feathers  with 


262 


FIFTY  CHRISTMAS-GIFTS  FOR  SMALL   FINGERS. 


gum.  A  very  little  gum  put  under  the  quills,  and  left  to 
dry  with  a  weight  on  them,  will  make  them  easily  adhere. 
Place  a  second  row  of  feathers,  so  that  the  eyes  of  them 
come  just  between  those  of  the  first  row.  Next  make 
another  frame  in  the  same  manner  as  before,  but  let  the 
edge  of  it  only  extend  as  far  as  the  quills  of  the  second  row 
of  feathers.  Border  this  with  the  side  fringe-feathers  of  the 
peacock's  tail,  and  then  dispose 
of  some  red  ones  at  the  top,  or 
any  kind  fancy  may  dictate  or 
you  possess,  finishing  off  with 
a  bunch  of  gray  fluff  feathers, 
or  a  knot  of  crimson  ribbon 
and  a    gilt    handle.      For  the 


Fig.  87.  — Feather  Screen. 


Fig.  88.  —  Feather  Screen. 


back,  cut  a  piece  of  cardboard  the  exact  shape  and  size  of 
the  foundation  of  the  screen,  cover  it  with  crimson  silk,  and 
gum  on  behind.  Another,  even  prettier,  screen  is  made  as 
follows,  both  sides  alike  :  — 

Prepare  a  frame  (circular  in  shape)  as  before.  Edge  it 
thickly  all  round,  by  means  of  a  needle  and  thread,  with  the 
fringe-feathers  of  the  peacock's  tail.     Then  put  alternately, 


SPATTER-WORK,  263 

in  the  six  spaces  between  the  points  of  the  star  which  is  to 
be  cut  for  the  centre,  rows  of  the  small  brown,  gold,  and 
srreen  feathers  from  the  neck  and  back  of  the  bird.  Cut  out 
a  star  in  cardboard ;  edge  it  on  each  side  with  a  small  red 
feather,  and  cover  the  whole  of  the  rest  (by  means  of  gum), 
one  close  over  the  other,  with  the  bright-blue  feathers  from 
the  peacock's  breast.  Cut  out  a  small  circle  in  cardboard, 
which  edge  with  a  row  of  canary-bird  or  any  dyed  yellow 
feathers,  letting  the  centre  be  scarlet.  On  this  a  gold  mon- 
ogram in  repousse  work  may  be  placed.  A  gilt  handle,  and 
knot  of  ribbon,  complete  so  elegant  a  fan,  that  one  made  for 
a  wedding-present  was  supposed  to  be  the  finest  Brazilian 
work. 

Mats  made  of  cloth  or  straw  are  very  pretty  with  a  border 
of  feathers.  These  may  also  be  utilized  for  trimmings  of 
hats,  muffs,  or  jackets,  particularly  pheasant's  and  pea-fowl's. 
Trimmings  are  made  by  sewing  the  feathers  on  in  rows  of 
three  and  two,  or  three  and  four,  one  over  the  other,  on  a 
narrow  ribbon  of  the  same  color. 

SPATTER-WORK. 

The  materials  needed  for  spatter-work  are  bristol-board, 
India-ink,  a  fine-toothed  comb,  toothbrush  having  long  firm 
bristles,  some  fine  pins,  a  tack-hammer,  and  a  smooth  board 
on  which  to  fasten  your  paper. 

An  artistic  design  is  the  chief  requisite  for  successful 
work ;  and  Nature  will  supply  you  with  beautiful  models  in 
her  tiniest  leaves  and  ferns  and  mosses,  with  quaint  shapes 
of  cup  and  hood.  Gather  them  carefully,  and  press  them, 
and,  when  your  paper  is  firmly  fastened  to  the  board,  arrange 
a  graceful  bunch  of  leaves  and  sprays,  with,  if  you  choose,  a 
paper  pattern  of  cross  or  basket  around  which  to  group 
them.     But  the  simplest  arrangement  is  always  best.     Pin 


264        FIFTY  CHRISTMAS-GIFTS  FOR   SMALL   FINGERS. 

each  leaf  carefully  in  its  place  with  small  pins,  lest  the  ink 
should  spatter  under  it.  Rub  the  India-ink  with  water  in  a 
saucer  to  the  thickness  of  cream.  Colored  ink  may  be  used 
instead,  if  you  prefer ;  or  any  water-color  paint  may  be  pre- 
pared in  the  same  way  as  India-ink,  except  that  it  should  be 
thinner.  Dip  the  toothbrush  lightly  in  the  ink,  and,  by  rub- 
bing it  gently  over  the  comb,  send  a  fine  spray  of  ink  upon 
the  paper,  repeating  the  process  until  the  tint  is  deep  enough. 
The  lower  part  of  the  work  may  be  shaded  more  deeply,  to 
give  perspective ;  but,  as  the  ink  is  much  darker  when  dry, 
be  careful  not  to  make  the  tint  too  deep.  Now  carefully 
remove  the  pattern,  and  a  white  design  appears,  which  must 
be  deftly  touched  up  with  a  fine  camel's-hair  brush  dipped 
in  the  ink.  Put  in  the  veins  of  the  leaves,  and  shade  those 
parts  of  the  design  which  would  naturally  be  in  shadow. 

When  all  is  done,  and  the  ink  is  perfectly  dry,  the  paper 
should  be  pressed  on  the  wrong  side  with  a  warm  iron,  not  a 
hot  one. 

The  paragraph  on  birch-bark  suggests  a  number  of  pretty 
gifts,  which  can  all  be  made  equally  well  out  of  spattered 
bristol-board,  and  many  more  things,  like  tidies,  pincushions, 
and  lamp-shades.  Aprons,  too,  can  be  made  of  fine  Swiss 
muslin  decorated  with  spatter-work.  White  holly-wood  is 
sometimes  carved  into  paper-knives,  work-boxes,  glove-cases, 
and  book-covers,  and  decorated  with  spatter-work;  burnt- 
umber  being  used  instead  of  ink. 

SHADOW-PICTURES. 

There  is  a  simpler  way  of  obtaining  pictures,  having 
much  the  same  effect  as  spatter-work.  At  any  large  artist's 
materials  store  can  be  purchased  a  sensitive-paper,  which 
changes  color  when  exposed  to  the  light.  A  large  roll  of 
this  photographic  paper  costs  only  fifty  cents.     Any  pretty 


SCENT-CASES  FOR    TRUNKS.  26$ 

design  may  be  placed  upon  a  square  of  the  paper,  and  ex- 
posed to  the  sunlight  for  a  few  moments,  when,  on  removing 
the  pattern,  the  tint  beneath  will  be  found  much  darker  than 
the  prevailing  tint  of  the  paper.  Pour  water  abundantly 
over  the  whole,  and  the  design  will  become  white,  while, 
wonderful  to  say,  the  background  changes  to  dark  blue. 
Pictures  obtained  in  this  way  may  be  turned  to  use  in  the 
manner  described  for  spatter-work. 

BOOK-COVERS. 

As  books  are  of  many  different  sizes,  it  is  clear  that  one 
cover  will  not  fit  them  all ;  but  you  may  guess,  perhaps,  wha^ 
size  would  be  most  useful  to  the  friend  for  whom  you  wist 
to  make  it.  A  Bible-cover  is  a  lovely  gift  to  make.  If 
should  be  cut  from  chamois-leather,  exactly  the  size  of  the 
open  Bible,  with  a  narrow  piece  sewed  on  at  each  end  to 
fold  under.  Pink  the  edges  all  round.  Sew  the  flaps  very 
firmly  and  neatly  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  cover,  leaving  the 
points  of  the  cover  to  project,  and  form  an  edge.  A  mono- 
gram, or  any  appropriate  motto,  may  be  embroidered  on  the 
cover. 

Another  useful  gift  is  a  dictionary-cover,  made  in  the 
same  way ;  or  it  may  be  cut  out  of  brown  linen,  and  bound 
around  the  edges  with  dark-brown  braid. 

SCENT-CASES    FOR   TRUNKS. 

These  are  useful  gifts  for  a  friend  who  travels  often 
Clothing  packed  away  in  trunks  is  apt  to  contract  a  smell 
of  leather ;  and  a  large  case  of  silk  or  muslin,  scented  with 
delicate  powder,  and  made  to  fit  the  top  of  the  trunk,  will 
be  sure  to  be  appreciated. 


266        FIFTY  CHRISTMAS-GIFTS  FOR  SMALL   FINGERS. 


CABIN-BAGS. 

Another  gift  for  travellers  is  a  cabin-bag,  which  is  made 
like  a  shoe-bag,  and  can  be  tacked  against  the  wall  of  the 
state-room,  within  reach  of  berth  or  sofa. 

Cut  a  large  square  of  stout  linen  or  cretonne.  Stitch  two 
rows  of  pockets  upon  it,  and  make  a  small  pincushion  to  be 
hung  at  the  middle  and  top.  Bind  the  edges  with  braid,  and 
make  loops  by  which  to  hang  it  up. 

This  useful  bag  will  take  the  place  of  a  bureau  in  the 
crowded  space  of  a  state-room. 

WORK-APRONS. 

Cut  out  an  apron  by  any  ordinary  pattern,  but  about  ten 
inches  longer.  This  extra  length  is  turned  up  from  the 
bottom,  and  divided  off,  by  stitching,  into  three  or  four  deep, 
narrow  pockets,  which  will  hold  knitting,  scraps  of  work,  or 
sewing-materials. 

Very  dainty  ones  are  made  of  pongee  or  fine  linen,  with  a 
design  stamped  upon  the  space  turned  up  for  pockets,  and 
embroidered  in  stem-stitch.  A  bunch  of  flowers  with  two 
or  three  bees  fluttering  over  them,  and  along  the  hem  the 
motto,  — 

"  How  doth  the  little  busy  bee 
Improve  each  shining  hour," 

make  a  design  which  has  become  very  popular.    These  busy- 
bee  aprons  are  finished  off  with  pretty  bows  of  ribbon. 

TOOTHBRUSH-RACK. 

Many  pretty  things,  of  which  the  toothbrush-rack  is  one, 
can  be  made  from  spruce-twigs.  Cut  two  straight  spruce- 
twigs  having  little  branches  which  grow  upward,  and  try 


SHOE-CA^ES.  267 

to  get  them   as  nearly  alike  as  possible.     Trim   the  little 
branches  until  they  are  two  inches  long. 

Now  cut  two  more  twigs  the  same  length,  but  cut  off  all 
the  branches,  without  entirely  smoothing  the  bark,  which  is 
prettier  if  left  rough.  Place  the  twigs  first  cut  about  six 
inches  apart,  and  lay  the  second  pair  across  them  at  top  and 
bottom,  making  a  square  frame  ;  fasten  the  corners  firmly 
with  fine  wire.  Two  more  twigs,  crossed  diagonally  from 
one  corner  to  another,  help  to  strengthen  the  frame,  which 
is  hung  up  by  a  wire  or  ribbon.  Toothbrushes  are  placed 
across  the  small  branches,  which,  as  you  see,  should  be  as 
nearly  parallel  as  possible. 

SAND-BAGS    FOR   WINDOWS. 

When  the  wind  blows  on  a  cold  winter's  night,  and  the 
window  rattles,  and  lets  in  the  cold  air,  a  sand-bag  will  help 
to  keep  it  out,  and  be  a  very  useful  present.  It  is  made  by 
filling  with  sand  a  long,  narrow  bag,  four  inches  wide,  and 
just  as  long  as  the  window-sash  is  wide.  Cover  the  cotton 
case  with  one  of  bright-scarlet  flannel.  Lay  the  sand-bag 
over  the  crack  between  the  upper  and  lower  sash. 

SHOE-CASES. 

These  are  meant  to  hold  shoes  in  travelling,  and  to  take 
the  place  of  wrapping-paper.  As  each  case  holds  but  one 
pair  of  shoes,  it  is  well  to  make  two  of  them,  or  more,  as  a 
present.  Cut  out  of  brown  linen  a  case  or  bag  which  will 
easily  hold  a  pair  of  shoes.  Bind  the  edges  with  braid,  and 
fasten  strings  about  the  mouth  to  tie  it  with ;  or  make  the 
end  long  enough  to  fold  over,  shaping  it  like  an  envelope, 
and  fastening  it  with  a  button  and  buttonhole. 


268        FIFTY  CHRISTMAS-GIFTS  FOR  SMALL   FINGERS. 


BEAN-BAGS. 

One  of  the  j  oiliest  of  games  for  a  rainy  day  is  the  bean- 
bag  game;  and  a  set  of  bean-bags  is,  therefore,  a  beautiful 
present  to  make  for  friends  or  brothers.  Make  four  square 
bags  out  of  bed-ticking  (they  should  be  about  six  inches 
square) ;  sew  them  very  stoutly,  and  fill  them,  not  too  full, 
with  common  beans.  The  cases  are  then  covered  with  bright 
flannel,  and  an  initial  may  be  worked  in  each. 

A   HEMLOCK    PILLOW. 

Whoever  loves  the  spicy  odor  of  hemlock-woods  will  take 
delight  in  this  pillow,  which  brings  the  fragrance  wherever 
it  comes.  Gather  a  quantity  of  fine  hemlock-needles  from 
the  young  shoots  of  the  tree,  and,  when  dry,  fill  with  them  a 
large,  square  ticking,  which  must  be  covered  with  soft  wool 
or  silken  stuff,  which  may  be  left  plain,  or  embroidered,  to 
suit  the  taste  of  the  giver. 

SACHET   FOR   LINEN-CLOSET. 

A  large,  sweet-smelling  scent-bag  is  a  delightful  thing  to 
lay  among  the  fresh  linen.  It  may  be  made  with  sachet- 
powder,  like  the  scent-case  for  trunks ;  but  our  grandmothers 
used  the  old-fashioned  lavender-blossom.  And  another  de- 
licious scent  is  that  of  the  sweet-clover,  which  grows  wild  in 
many  parts  of  the  country.  Dried  sweet-grass,  such  as  the 
Indians  weave  into  baskets,  may  be  attainable  for  some. 

baby's    BLANKET. 

To  make  something  especially  pretty  out  of  an  ordinary 
crib-blanket,  select  one  with  blue  stripes  and  a  blue  silk 
binding.  Between  stripes  and  binding  baste  a  strip  of  can- 
vas, and  with  blue  saddler's  silk  doubled  work  in  cross-stitch 


BMBROTDERED  LINEI^.  269 

a  motto,  so  arranged  as  to  be  read  when  the  blanket  is  folded 
back.     Here  is  a  pretty  English  motto : — 

"Shut  little  eyes,  and  shut  in  the  blue  : 
Sleep,  little  baby,  God  loves  you." 

And  here  are  two  very  short  ones  in  German,  Schlafe  wohl 
(Sleep  well),  and  Gut  Nacht  (Good-night).  Another  pretty 
German  verse  is  this,  ''Nun  gute  ruhy  die  Augen  zu''  (Now 
go  to  sleep,  and  shut  your  eyes). 

SUMMER  BLANKETS. 

A  pair  of  light  summer  blankets  may  be  made  very  pretty 
by  buttonholing  them  loosely  across  the  top  and  bottom,  and 
working  three  large  initials  in  the  middle  of  the  top  end. 

NAPKIN-BANDS. 

These  are  used  to  fasten  the  napkin  around  a  child's  neck, 
and  consist  simply  of  a  canvas  strip,  an  inch  wide  and  twelve 
inches  long,  worked  in  cross-stitch,  and  attached  at  each  end 
to  the  metal  clasps  which  are  used  for  children's  stockings. 

EMBROIDERED   LINEN. 

A  set  of  tea-napkins  with  an  initial  letter  finely  worked 
makes  a  beautiful  gift.  The  letter  should  be  stamped  in  one 
corner  of  the  doyly;  and,  before  embroidering,  the  pattern 
is  run  and  "stuffed"  with  heavy  working-cotton,  which  makes 
the  work  far  richer.  Handsome  towels  are  embellished  with 
the  initials  of  the  person  to  whom  they  are  to  be  given 
worked  at  one  end  in  the  space  made  by  folding  the  towel 
twice.  The  letters  should  be  very  large.  Towels  are  now 
sold  with  a  canvas  strip  woven  across  each  end,  on  which 
any  pretty  pattern  may  be  embroidered  ;  the  Holbein-stitch, 
which  is  alike  on  both  sides,  being  the  best  to  use. 


I'JO        FIFTY  CHRISTMAS-GIFTS  FOR  SMALL   FINGERS. 


SHAWL-BAGS. 

Probably  most  of  the  girls  who  read  this  book  know  what 
shawl-bags  are  like,  and  also  know  their  usefulness.  They 
are  not  only  capital  things  to  protect  shawls  from  dust  and 
cinders  in  travelling,  but  may  be  used  as  another  hand-bag, 
to  carry  small  articles  in  case  of  need.  Stout  brown  Hol- 
land is  the  best  material.  Cut  two  round  end-pieces  eight 
inches  across,  and  a  piece  half  a  yard  wide  by  twenty-four 
inches  long.  Sew  the  sides  of  the  piece  around  the  two  end- 
pieces,  making  a  cylinder  with  a  long  slit,  which  is  to  be  the 
mouth  of  the  bag.  Face  the  edges  of  the  slit,  and  bind  them 
and  the  seams  at  the  ends  with  worsted  braid.  Close  the 
opening  with  five  buttons  and  buttonholes,  and  sew  on  a 
stout  strip  of  doubled  linen  by  way  of  handle,  like  that  of 
a  shawl-strap.  The  bag  may  be  ornamented  on  one  side  with 
the  initials  of  its  owner. 

bird's-nest  penwiper. 

Cut  out  six  or  eight  leaves  (for  which  a  beech-leaf  makes 
a  good  pattern)  of  black  cloth  or  velvet.  Cut  the  edges  in 
points,  like  the  natural  leaf,  and  sew  them  around  a  circle  of 
black  cloth.  Knit  and  ravel  out  again  a  quantity  of  yellow 
worsted  or  silk  floss,  and  imitate  with  it  the  form  of  a  bird's 
nest  in  the  middle  of  the  black  leaves.  For  the  bird  sitting 
on  its  nest,  a  white  canton-flannel  shape  may  be  devised, 
with  black  bead  eyes,  and  feathers  imitated  in  water-color 
paint ;  but  one  of  the  little  Japanese  birds  sold  in  the  shops 
for  fifteen  or  twenty-five  cents  will  answer  the  purpose. 
Fasten  plain  circles  of  cloth  below,  for  wiping  the  pens. 

GLOVE-BOX. 

The  material  of  this  box  may  be  very  stiff  cardboard ;  but 


tVHAT  TO  DO    WITH  AUTUMN  LEAVES.  2; I 

a  better  way  is  to  get  a  tinman  to  cut  for  you  six  strips 
of  tin,  of  the  dimensions  given  below,  punched  with  rows  of 
holes  an  inch  and  a  half  apart.  If  cardboard  is  used,  you 
can  make  the  holes  yourself,  measuring  them  with  a  rule. 
The  strips  are  to  be  cut  as  follows  :  — 

Two  strips  one  foot  long  and  five  inches  wide,  two  strips 
one  foot  long  and  three  inches  wide,  and  two  strips  five 
inches  long  by  three  inches  wide.  These  make  respectively 
the  top  and  bottom,  the  sides  and  the  ends,  of  the  box. 
Each  piece  is  to  be  lined  with  cotton-wadding  scented  with 
sachet-powder,  over  which  is  placed  the  silk  or  satin  lining 
you  have  selected.  This  soft  lining  is  then  quilted  down  by 
putting  the  needle  through  each  of  the  holes  in  turn,  taking 
long  stitches  on  the  wrong  side,  and  fine  ones  on  the  right 
side.  Tiny  buttons  sewed  in  each  depression  make  a  pretty 
finish.  Put  the  box  together,  and  cover  the  outside  with 
satin,  cloth,  or  plush,  sewing  a  small  silk  cord  around  the 
edges  to  finish  them  neatly.  Square  handkerchief-boxes  may 
be  made  in  the  same  way. 

PLAIN   SEWING. 

Although  this  has  not  so  attractive  a  sound,  much  pleas- 
ure may  be  given  and  received  by  the  little  folks  who  can  do 
a  bit  of  plain  work.  In  many  cases  no  gift  could  be  so  use- 
ful as  an  apron,  or  nightgown,  or  petticoat  neatly  made,  with 
loving  thoughts  stitcned  into  the  long  seams  and  difficult 
gathers.  And,  as  the  knowledge  ought  to  be  gained,  let  me 
assure  you  that  the  pleasure  and  excitement  of  practising 
on  Christmas-gifts  will  help  very  much  to  make  this  neces- 
sary branch  of  learning  interesting. 

WHAT   TO    DO   WITH    AUTUMN    LEAVES. 

Suppose  you  have  gathered,  from  pure  love  of  their  beauty, 


^Jl        i^IFTY  CHRiSTMAS-GlFTS  t^OR  SMALL   FINGEk^. 

art  the  bright  sprays,  and  tiny  ferns  blanched  white  in  the 
shade,  that  you  met  with  in  your  autumn  rambles :  you  will 
be  glad  to  know  in  what  way  they  may  be  preserved,  and 
used  to  delight  other  people  as  well  as  yourself.  Take  an 
old  wooden  box,  or  shabby  table,  or  lacquer-tray,  or  earthen 
bowl  or  pitcher,  and,  whichever  you  select,  paint  in  black,  or 
any  color  which  will  have  a  good  effect,  with  oil-paint.  When 
dry,  rub  it  smooth  with  sand-paper,  and  repeat  the  process 
three  times.  Glue  upon  it  your  leaves  and  ferns,  arranging 
them  gracefully,  as  they  are  sure  to  be  in  nature ;  and,  when 
the  glue  has  dried,  apply  a  coat  of  isinglass,  dissolved  in 
water,  to  the  whole  surface.  Three  coats  of  copal-varnish, 
each  added  after  the  former  has  had  time  to  dry,  finishes  the 
work,  and  your  old  box  or  tray  will  have  been  transformed 

FERN-WORK. 

Even  more  beautiful  and  delicate  effects  may  be  produced 
In  fern-work.  The  pressed  ferns  should  be  perfect  and  lovely 
in  themselves,  and  of  all  shades,  — ■  green,  deep-brown,  yellow, 
and  white.  Suppose  you  have  a  small  round  table  whose 
top  is  to  be  decorated.  It  is  first  to  be  painted  black,  or  very 
dark  brown,  rubbed  with  pumice-stone  when  dry,  and  then 
varnished.  While  the  varnish  is  still  wet,  the  ferns  are  to 
be  arranged  upon  it  according  to  a  carefully  planned  pattern. 
This  work  requires  great  care  and  deftness.  The  ferns,  once 
laid  on  the  varnish,  must  not  be  altered,  or  lifted  by  the  hand  ; 
but  the  disarranged  or  projecting  points  may  be  pushed  into 
place  with  a  long  pin.  When  the  design  is  arranged,  varnish 
again  immediately,  with  light  touches.  Between  these  two 
coats  of  varnish,  the  delicate  ferns  remain  nearly  indestructi- 
ble, with  almost  the  effect  of  a  Florentine  mosaic.  Another 
coat  of  varnish  must  be  added  when  the  second  is  wholly  dry. 
Earthen  tiles  and  plaques  may  be  treated  in  the  same  way, 


A   CHRISTMAS-PIE.  IJl 

and  the  result  will  be  better  than  much  amateur  china  paint- 
ing. 

BARREL-CHAIR. 

Any  girl  who  has  a  father  or  brother  to  help  may  make 
this  useful  piece  of  furniture.  A  barrel  is  sawed  into  the 
shape  shown  in  the  diagram  of  pill-box  chair  on  p.  281,  which 
is  that  of  a  low  chair  with  a  rounded  back ;  and  four  blocks 
are  nailed  inside  to  support  a  round  of  wood,  which  forms 
the  seat,  and  which,  like  the  back  and  sides  of  the  chair, 
must  be  stuffed,  cushioned,  and  covered  with  chintz  or  cre- 
tonne. A  deep  ruffle  of  the  same  covers  the  barrel  below 
the  seat.  The  hollow  space  inside,  below  the  seat,  may  be 
utilized  by  nailing  all  around  the  sides  a  shoe-bag  with  many 
pockets ;  and  the  chair  may  then  receive  the  name  of  a  shoe- 
chair. 

DECORATED  CANDLES. 

Wax  or  paraffine  candles  are  used  for  this  purpose.  They 
may  be  painted  in  water-color  or  oil,  or  with  the  powder  used 
for  coloring  wax  flowers.  Where  this  powder  or  water-color 
paints  are  used,  a  little  ox-gall  is  needed  to  give  the  paint 
consistency.  Bands  of  solid  color,  conventional  patterns,  or 
sprays  of  flowers  twining  around  the  candle,  may  be  chosen 
for  decoration.  Gilding  adds  very  much  to  the  effect,  and  is 
bought,  under  the  name  of  "  gold  paint,"  at  any  artist's-mate- 
rial  shop,  for  fifty  cents  a  bottle. 

A    CHRISTMAS-PIE. 

Let  me  tell  you  of  a  merry  way  to  serve  up  many  of  the 
little  dainties  described  in  this  chapter.  Put  them,  each 
wrapped  in  soft  paper,  all  together  in  an  enormous  tin  dish- 
pan,  and  cover  the  top  with  a  crust  of  yellow  cartridge-paper, 
ornamented  with  little  twirls  pinned  in  their  places. 

The  pie  must  be  cut  beforehand  into  enough  pieces  to  go 


274        FIFTY  CHRISTMAS-GIFTS  FOR  SMALL   FINGERS, 

around  ;  but  the  carver  may  go  through  the  motions  of  cut- 
ting it,  and  then  spoon  out  the  contents  upon  the  plates  pro- 
vided. Small  articles  which  will  not  be  injured  by  heat  can 
be  wrapped  in  white  paper,  and  baked  in  genuine  little  cakes, 
when  they  furnish  a  delightful  surprise  to  those  who  eat 

A    BROOM    PENWIPER. 

This  is  easily  made,  and  very  pretty  when  finished. 

The  stick  is  a  long  penholder,  either  plain  or  fancy,  one 
end  of  which  is  dipped  into  melted  sealing-wax  to  form  a 
knob,  and  round  which  the  ends  of  cloth  are  tightly  sewed. 
The  wiper  is  formed  of  a  number  of  narrow  strips  of  cloth, 
cut  twice  the  length  required,  and  doubled  in  half.    The  cloth 


Fig.  89.  —  Broom  Penwiper. 

may  be  all  black,  or  mixed  with  other  colors,  according  to 
taste.  The  cloth  ends  should  be  rather  short,  and  very  full, 
so  as  to  resemble  the  brooms  used  for  yards. 

A  band  of  red  cloth,  or  thin  leather,  worked  with  dots  in 
gold-colored  silk,  to  imitate  brass-headed  nails,  is  fastened 
round  the  cloth,  and  keeps  it  in  shape. 

TEA    AND   EGG   COSEYS. 

The  breakfast-table  is  much  improved  by  these  pretty  and 
useful  additions.  The  crimson  plush  for  the  outside  is  cut 
the  shape  and  size  needed  for  the  style  of  teapot  for  which 
the  cosey  is  intended.     They  are  generally  made  higher  and 


T£A  AND  EGG   COSE  VS.  2/5 

narrower  than  formerly.  A  bouquet  of  good  artificial  flowers 
may  be  fastened  on  one  side,  the  points  of  the  leaves  being 
tacked  invisibly  to  the  plush  to  keep  them  in  place. 

On  the  opposite  side,  a  monogram  or  crest,  in  fine  varie- 
gated cord  or  gold-thread,  is  worked.  The  lining  should  be 
of  silk,  the  same  shade  as  the  plush,  and  well  wadded  and 
quilted.  A  very  unique  and  beautiful  edge  is  formed  of 
pheasant's  feathers  tacked  on  a  narrow  ribbon  the  color  of 
the  plush. 

It  is  better  to  choose  a  tint  for  the  cosey  that  will  harmo- 
nize with  the  breakfast-service.  The  feathers  would  suit 
almost  any  color.  If  this  trimming  is  found  to  be  too  trou- 
blesome, a  good  cord  can  be  substituted.  The  top  of  the 
cosey  is  ornamented  with  a  small  fancy  gilt  or  ivory  ring,  by 
which  it  can  be  lifted  off  without  interfering  with  the  feather 
band. 

The  egg-cosey  is  made  of  the  colored  plush,  and  sufficiently 
large  to  cover  a  small  hot-water  dish,  to  hold  four  or  more 
eggs  in  their  cups.  One  side  of  this  cosey  may  have  a  bird's 
nest  with  eggs  in  it,  or  a  hen  and  chickens  in  embroidery. 
The  other  side  has  the  crest  or  monogram.  A  cover  or  mat 
for  the  hot-water  dish  is  made  of  a  piece  of  green  baize,  cov- 
ered with  an  imitation  of  moss,  made  of  knitted  wools. 
This  cosey  is  finished  in  the  same  manner  as  the  teapot- 
cosey. 

A  small  holder  is  almost  indispensable,  as  the  handle  of 
the  teapot  becomes  exceedingly  hot  when  covered  up  by  a 
good  cosey. 

In  order  that  all  should  correspond,  this,  too,  may  be  made 
of  plush,  with  a  quilted  satin  lining  interlined  with  folds  of 
flannel.  The  crest  or  monogram  will  suit  for  the  centre,  and 
the  edges  should  be  covered  with  a  variegated  cord. 

These  three  articles  are  very  suitable  for  a  wedding-present 


2^6  DOLL  'S  HOUSES, 


CHAPTER  III. 

DOLL'S   HOUSES   AND   MAKE-BELIEVE   HOUSEKEEPING. 

Dolls  were  once  supposed  to  belong  solely  to  little  girls ; 
but  they  are  now  so  beautifully  made,  and  so  real,  that  to 
own  a  large  one  is  next  to  playing  with  a  live  baby,  and  has 
a  great  advantage  over  that  amusement,  in  that  it  will  never 
cry,  or  rebel  at  being  put  away  when  the  play  ends.  For 
any  little  girl  who  really  loves  dolls,  there  is  not  the  slightest 
need  of  writing  any  of  the  thousand  ways  of  playing  with 
them.  My  dolls  were  just  as  much  alive  as  I  was  ;  and  there 
were  parties  and  weddings  and  christenings  and  funerals,  just 
such  as  are  part  of  all  homes.  Almost  every  child  now  has 
doll's  bureaus  and  trunks,  so  that  all  the  little  clothes  can 
be  kept  in  perfect  order  ;  and  to  teach  the  dolls  the  best  way 
of  doing  this  will  take  a  great  deal  of  time.  But  it  is  with 
dolls  as  with  people :  unless  they  have  houses  of  their  own, 
it  willbe  impossible  to  live  in  just  the  right  fashion.  And 
doll's  houses  are  so  easily  made,  and  there  can  be  such  pleas- 
ure in  furnishing  them,  that  there  is  no  excuse  for  not  having 
at  least  one  in  every  family.  There  is  no  occasion  for  buy- 
ing an  elaborate  one  at  a  great  toy-store,  or  even  spending 
money  on  the  carpenter ;  for  very  good  ones  are  made  by 
simply  using  well-made  packing-boxes  ;  those  for  books  being 
smoothest  and  nicest,  but  those  in  which  canned  goods  are 
packed  answering  very  well.  Two  of  these  boxes  can  be  set 
one  on  another,  each  divided  into  two  rooms  by  a  thin  board, 
or  even  pasteboard,  fitted  in.     It  is  not  hard  to  cut  windows, 


DOLL'S  HOUSES.  2// 

which  can  have  glass  fastened  inside ;  and  the  whole  should 
be  neatly  papered  inside  and  out  before  beginning  to  furnish. 
The  book-boxes  are  usually  three  feet  long,  and  a  better  shape 
than  the  can-boxes,  which  are  too  deep  for  the  width.  Choose 
a  dark-gray  or  light-brown  paper  for  the  outside  ;  and  by  read- 
ing the  directions  for  cardboard  houses  in  Chap.  V.,  Part  III., 
you  will  get  an  idea  of  how  to  finish  off  about  the  windows, 
and  can  even  imitate  a  roof  and  chimneys  if  you  like. 

For  the  first  house,  four  rooms  are  quite  enough ;  and,  if 
you  choose  to  begin  with  a  small  box  and  small  dolls,  almost 
all  the  furniture  can  be  of  stout  cardboard.  Remember  that 
a  big  doll  in  a  little  house  is  as  ridiculous  as  an  old-fashioned 
giant  would  be  in  ours,  and  have  every  thing  match  and  har- 
monize as  nearly  as  you  can,  not  only  in  size,  but  in  colors. 
For  instance,  in  the  parlor  do  not  have  a  red  sofa,  and  a  blue 
chair,  and  a  green  table-cover,  but  remember  that  crimson 
or  dark  red  must  have  soft  browns,  or  olive-greens,  or  even 
gray,  with  it ;  that  blue  in  a  bedroom  may  be  combined  with 
gray,  pale  pink,  or  garnet ;  and  that  green  goes  well  with 
oak,  or  with  gray.  This  is  the  way  a  tomato-can  box  I  know 
about  was  furnished  for  very  small  dolls,  —  a  father  and 
mother,  and  one  baby  in  a  little  cradle.  Bessy  had  talked  it 
over  with  her  mother,  and  decided,  that  as  the  young  couple 
were  just  beginning  life,  and  had  not  much  money,  they 
ought  to  be  willing  to  live  in  a  very  simple  way ;  and  so  a 
small  "flat"  was  just  the  thing.  Bessy's  father  divided  it 
for  her  into  three  rooms,  and  cut  doors  between  ;  or,  rather, 
he  marked  the  doors,  and  Bessy  cut  them  out  herself  with  a 
jig-saw,  which  she  could  handle  very  well.  Windows  were 
cut  out,  and  a  thin  piece  of  mica  fastened  on  with  gimp- 
tacks  ;  and  the  sashes  were  made  of  pasteboard  pasted  on. 
Then  the  whole  was  papered  outside  with  a  light-gray  paper, 
and  left  to  dry.     A  roof  had  first  been  made  by  sawing  the 


278  DOLL'S  HOUS^,S, 

side  of  the  box  in  two,  and  then  nailing  it  on  the  top,  gluing 
it  together  at  the  top,  and  fastening  on  a  little  chimney. 
This  was  all  papered  in  dark  red,  like  a  Queen  Anne  roof. 
Inside  there  were  three  rooms,  —  parlor,  bedroom,  and  the 
dining-room  and  kitchen  in  one.  This  troubled  Bessy.  Bui 
her  mother  said  that  a  lady  never  made  work  as  she  went, 
as  an  ignorant  woman  always  did,  and  that  it  was  quite 
possible  to  have  a  kitchen-stove  behind  a  screen,  managed 
so  that  hardly  anybody  would  know  it  was  there. 

Curtains  were  made  first  for  all  the  windows,  —  two  in 
the  bedroom,  three  in  the  parlor,  and  two  in  the  kitchen. 
Those  for  the  parlor  were  of  cheese-cloth,  with  broad  hems, 
and  a  narrow  lace  sewed  on.  The  rods,  from  which  they 
hung  by  little  brass  curtain-rings,  were  very  small  lead-pen- 
cils, which  looked  like  ebony,  and  rested  in  two  little  picture- 
screws,  into  which  they  ran  easily.  The  bedroom  had  rods 
also ;  and  the  curtains,  bedspread,  and  chair-covers  were 
blue  chintz  with  a  small  pink  rosebud  in  them ;  while  the 
dining-room  had  cream-colored  linen  shades  that  were  rolled 
up  and  tied.  Between  parlor  and  bedroom  hung  a  portihe, 
also  on  lead-pencil  rod,  and  made  of  deep-garnet  merino. 
The  parlor  and  bedroom  floors  were  carpeted  with  thick 
garnet-and-blue  stuff  left  from  covering  a  chair;  and  the 
dining-room  had  a  gray  oilcloth,  in  imitation  of  little  tiles, 
and  a  rug  in  the  middle,  made  of  dark-gray  canton-flannel, 
with  a  deep-red  border.  With  carpets  and  curtains,  it  began 
to  look  like  a  house ;  and  then  came  the  furnishing.  For 
the  parlor  a  toy-table  had  a  red  merino  cover,  matching  the 
portihe,  with  a  border  of  ribbon  in  gay  Persian  colors  ;  and 
a  sofa  was  made  by  taking  a  small  paper-box,  six  inches  long, 
two  wide,  and  one  high,  and,  after  laying  cotton-wool  thickly 
on  the  top,  covering  the  whole  with  the  friendly  merino. 
Three  pillows,  each  two  inches  square  when  finished,  were 


DOLL'S  HOUSES.  279 

also  made,  and  the  edges  of  all  finished  with  very  fine  old- 
gold  cord.  The  rocking-chair,  and  some  reception-chairs, 
were  all  cut  from  cardboard  diagrams  given  in  Chap,  i,  Part  I. 
The  bookcase,  made  from  a  paper-box,  with  pasteboard 
shelves  fitted  in,  and  the  whole  painted  brown,  was  filled 
with  the  tiny  volumes  sold  in  sets  at  any  agency  of  the 
American  Sunday-school  Union  ;  though  even  they  were  so 
large  in  proportion,  that  it  was  like  having  a  library  of  big 
dictionaries.  Two  ottomans  were  made  from  very  small  pill- 
boxes, stuffed  with  cotton,  and  covered  with  merino.  The 
mantelpiece  was  a  piece  of  pasteboard,  fitting  between  the 
windows  at  the  end,  an  inch  and  a  half  wide,  and  tacked 
against  the  wall,  after  being  covered  with  the  merino,  and 
a  very  narrow  fringe  to  match  sewed  on  the  edge.  On  it 
stood  some  tiny  vases  and  ornaments.  Four  chairs  and  a 
rocking-chair  were  cut  from  cardboard,  after  the  models 
given,  and  a  toy-piano  which  stood  in  the  corner,  and  which 
had  been  on  the  Christmas-tree  as  a  present  to  the  mamma- 
doll. 

The  parlor  had  a  dark-red  dado  three  inches  high ;  above 
it  just  common  brown  wrapping-paper,  finished  with  a  half- 
inch  border  of  dark  red,  and,  where  the  dado  joined  the  paper, 
a  very  narrow  line  of  gilt.  Bessy  framed  some  pretty  photo- 
graphs, and  one  little  water-color,  —  an  Easter-card,  —  by 
having  glass  just  the  same  size,  and  pasting  narrow  black 
ribbon  around  the  edges ;  and  she  had  enough  for  all  the 
rooms.  The  bedroom  was  papered  in  pale  blue,  with  gilt 
border ;  and  the  dining-room  in  gray  and  red. 

The  bedroom  mantelpiece  was  covered  with  chintz  like  the 
curtains,  and  edged  with  a  very  fine  plaiting  of  the  same  ; 
and  that  for  the  dining-room  was  in  gray  crash,  with  red 
worsted  fringe.  The  bed,  bureau,  and  chairs  were  at  first 
cut  from  cardboard.     But  Bessy's  success  with  sofa  and  otto- 


28o 


DOLL'S  HOUSES, 


/T) 


■A 


Fig.  90.  —  Bed. 


mans  had  given  her  confidence ;  and  she  made  a  bed  from  a 
paper-box  six  inches  long,  four  wide,  and  one  high.  The 
cover  she  took  off,  turned  the  box  upside  down,  and  sewed 
the  cover  to  it,  making  a  high  back,  as  in  diagram  below, 

which  was  bent  over, 
and  cut  in  a  half-circle 
to  form  a  canopy  like 
this.  All  this  back  was 
covered  with  the  pink- 
and-blue  chintz,  and  a 
plaiting  of  it  set  around 
the  edge  of  the  canopy. 
The  mattress  was  made 
of  cotton-cloth  cut  just 
the  size  of  the  bed,  a 
piece  half  an  inch  wide 
set  in  all  around  it,  and  the  whole  stuffed  with  cotton,  and 
tufted  like  any  mattress.  The  sheets  were  cambric,  nicely 
hemmed ;  the  blankets,  fine  flannel,  buttonhole-stitched  in 
blue  worsted  ;  and  the  spread  of  chintz.  Square  pillows  and 
a  bolster  were  made,  and  the  sides  of  the  box  covered  with 
chintz.  The  toilet-table  was  another  box,  four  inches  high 
and  five  broad.  A  little  glass  was 
hung  at  the  back,  and  the  whole 
draped  with  dotted  muslin  tied  with 
narrow  pink-and-blue  ribbon.  Two 
pill-boxes  covered  with  chintz  made 
ottomans ;  and  there  were  a  small 
bureau,  and  some  little  chairs  made 
from  high  but  small  round  boxes 
cut  like  a  barrel-chair,  as  in  the  diagram  below,  and  covered, 
also,  with  chintz. 

For  the  dining-room,  Bessy  already  had  a  little  table  and 


Fig.  91.— Canopy. 


DOLL'S  HOUSES. 


281 


four  chairs  ;  and  these  were  in  the  centre  of  the  room.  A 
little  pantry  was  made  from  a  small  cigar-box,  fitted  with 
shelves ;  and  another  little  table  had  some  shelves  fastened 
to  the  back,  and  became  a  sideboard,  filled  with  the  metal 
teaset,  and  little  glass  tumblers  and  dishes ;  and  behind  the 
pretty  screen,  made  from  a  toy  clothes-horse  covered  with 
Christmas-cards,  stood  the  little  stove,  and  all  the  pots  and 
pans  hanging  near  it. 

Here  housekeeping  went  on  every  day,  as  carefully  at- 
tended to  as  her  mother's.  The 
family  went  to  bed,  and  got  up. 
The  little  bedclothes  were  hung 
out  to  air  ;  the  breakfast  was  got 
and  cleared  away ;  the  baby  had 
its  bath,  and  took  a  nap ;  and 
then  the  parlor  was  dusted,  and 
the  bed  made,  and  every  thing 
put  in  order  for  the  day.  There 
were  dinners  and  tea-parties ; 
and  little  accounts  were  kept, 
and  stores  laid  in,  and  all  the 
round  of  daily  work  carefully 
gone  through  with.  The  baby 
grew  up,  and  married :  the  father  broke  his  leg.  Every 
thing  happened  that  could  happen.  And  at  last  the  house 
gave  way, — first  to  a  much  larger  one,  with  real  carpets,  and 
a  hall  and  stairs,  and  furniture,  some  of  which  Bessy  carved 
herself ;  and  at  last  to  a  little  room,  where  her  mother  had 
a  little  cook-stove  like  the  one  in  "  Little  Men,"  and  where 
Bessy  herself  actually  cooked  from  receipts  given  in  a  book 
called  "Six  Little  Cooks."  Her  brothers  cut  the  wood  for 
it,  and  considered  themselves  paid  by  an  invitation  to  tea ; 
and,  as  she  grew  more  and  more  skilful,  older  people  were 
rather  anxious  to  be  invited  too. 


Fig   92.  —  Pill-box  Chair. 


282  DOLL'S  HOUSES. 

Given  a  set  of  toys  such  as  accompany  Miss  Huntingdon's 
"  Kitchen-Garden  System,"  and  there  is  not  a  child  that  will 
not  learn  easily  and  happily  the  dreaded  routine  of  the  daily 
work  that  must  be  done.  The  transition  is  an  easy  one  from 
the  make-believe  to  the  real,  and  a  child  who  has  had  this 
training  will  never  feel  the  terror  of  housekeeping  that  fills 
many  a  girl  before  marriage.  The  doll's  house  will  have 
taught  the  best  and  easiest  way  of  taking  care  of  the  real 
house,  which  need  not  be  the  burden  it  is,  were  there  better 
training  in  the  beginning. 


WHAT  CAN  BE  DONE    WITH   TISSUE-PAPER.         2%^ 


CHAPTER   IV. 

WHAT   CAN   BE   DONE   WITH   TISSUE-PAPER. 

There  is  a  disposition  to  sneer  at  several  varieties  of  or- 
namental work  which  do  not  meet  all  the  requirements  of 
the  present  rage  for  high  art.  Wax  flowers,  leather-work, 
etc.,  are  regarded  as  having  had  their  day,  and  owning  now 
no  real  right  to  existence.  It  is  a  fact,  however,  though 
such  work  is  out  of  place  among  the  elaborate  decorations 
of  the  modern  house,  in  the  large  proportion  of  houses,  where 
hammered  brass,  and  cloisonnee,  and  miracles  in  enibroidery, 
cannot  come,  that  harmonious  color,  and  arrangement  of  sim- 
ple materials,  will  give  an  effect  of  suitability  which  is  often 
wanting  in  more  pretentious  houses.  And  in  any  case,  the 
chief  use  of  these  materials  is,  after  all,  to  educate  the  eye 
and  hand  ;  and  the  child  who  makes  her  tissue-paper  flowers 
as  much  like  nature  as  possible  is  making  ready  for  better 
work  with  better  material,  and  if  a  taste  for  carving,  or  mod- 
elling, or  painting,  develops  itself,  may  owe  it  to  close  study 
of  what  can  be  done  in  leather  or  wax. 

Tissue-paper  comes  first  in  order;  the  materials  costing 
little,  and  the  tools  being  so  simple.  French  tissue-paper, 
as  it  is  called,  though  really  made  in  England,  is  the  best, 
and  comes  in  all  colors,  at  about  sixteen  cents  a  quire.  A 
little  highly  glazed  paper  will  also  be  needed  for  calyxes,  etc. 
The  stamens  and  pistils  are  sold  at  wholesale,  but  may  better 
be  made  at  home.  The  tools  needed  for  really  successful 
work  are  moulding-tools,  curling-pins,  and  a  pair  of  nippers, 


284         WHAT  CAN-  BE  DONE    WITH  TISSUE-PAPER. 

with  good  scissors,  and  a  heavy  lead  or  brick  pincushion 
stuffed  with  bran,  which  can  bear  a  heavy  pressure.  Some 
gum  tragacanth  or  arabic,  a  little  box  of  powdered  starch, 
some  colors  (also  in  powder),  and  a  little  raw  cotton,  will  also 
be  needed,  with  some  fine  wire  of  two  sizes.  It  is  best,  if 
you  make  the  patterns  yourself,  to  take  real  flowers,  and  copy 
them  as  exactly  as  you  can.  When  each  pattern  is  cut,  write 
the  name  on  it,  and  keep  an  account  of  the  number  of  petals, 
the  shape  of  calyx,  and  every  point  you  might  otherwise  for- 
get. Never  cut  more  than  three  thicknesses  of  paper  at 
once  ;  for  not  only  is  it  likely  to  slip,  but  it  will  spoil  the  fine 
edge  of  the  scissors  also.  Tweezers  make  very  good  nippers, 
and  are  used  in  crimping  the  petals  of  carnations  and  some 
other  flowers  ;  the  petal  being  laid  on  the  cushion,  and  plaits 
being  made  in  it  by  pinching  the  paper  between  the  tweezers. 
Fingers  can  be  used,  but  the  creases  will  not  be  as  crisp  and 
natural.  The  calyx  for  the  flowers  is  cut  out  of  the  glazed 
paper ;  and  glazed  cotton  thread  can  be  used  for  stamens,  by 
first  waxing  it,  and  then  dipping  the  ends  in  mucilage,  and 
then  in  the  powdered  colors.  Stamens  can  also  be  made  of 
horse-hair.  A  daisy  is  very  easy  to  imitate.  This  is  cut  out 
in  a  circle,  divided  into  twenty-three  pointed  petals,  each 
divided  from  the  next  by  a  cut  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
down  the  length.  For  the  centre,  cover  a  small  button  with 
net,  and  dip  it  in  cement,  covering  it  before  it  dries  with 
either  yellow  mustard-seed  or  seed-beads.  Let  them  get  per- 
fectly firm,  and  then  dip  into  the  powdered  yellow.  For  the 
stalk,  wind  green  tissue-paper  closely  round  fine  wire,  and 
fasten  it  to  the  back  of  the  button;  then  pass  the  calyx  over 
it,  and  gum  firmly  in  place.  For  a  bud,  cut  a  smaller  corolla, 
and  gum  the  petals  very  lightly  together,  dipping  it  slightly 
in  the  carmine  powder. 

For  the  rose,  the  petals  of  which  are  given  here,  cut  ten 


LARGE    WHITE  OR    YELLOW  ROSE. 


285 


smaller  petals  out  of  the  palest  part  of  the  pink  paper,  and 
the  others  of  somewhat  deeper  color,  the  three  outer  ones 
so  as  to  have  the  upper  part  of  the  petal  of  the  deepest 
hue.  Mould  each  set  of  petals  together,  by  placing  them  on 
the  cushion,  and  drawing  the  ball-tool  of  the  requisite  size 
firmly  down  from  the  top  to  the  bottom  of  the  petals.  This 
will  hollow  and  crumple  them  so  as  to  present  the  crumpled 
appearance  of  vrose-leaves  ;  and  the  edges  of  the  larger  ones 
must  be  curled  back  with  the  curling-pin  or  the  nippers, 
by  drawing  these  sharply  behind  them.  The  small  petals 
should  then  be  placed  within  the  larger  ones  (excepting  the 
five  of  No.  4,  and  three  of  No.  5,  which  are  put  on  sepa- 
rately), gummed  at  the 
points,  and  put  on  in  a 
body,  by  taking  them  all 
up  together  with  the  nip- 
pers, dipping  the  points 
in  gum,  attaching  them 
to  the  cluster  of  stamens 
forming  the  heart  of  the 
rose,  and  winding  a  little 
fine  thread  round  each 
bunch  of  petals.  The  five  largest  petals  and  the  three  outer 
ones  are  put  on,  with  gum  and  thread,  below  and  between 
the  others ;  and  the  stalk  is  passed  through  the  prepared 
calyx  and  seed-pod,  and  finished  by  winding  narrow  strips 
of  green  or  brown  paper,  gummed  at  each  end,  round  the 
stalk.  The  buds  and  leaves  are  fastened  to  the  stem  by 
winding  paper  round  them  in  the  same  way. 


Fig.  93. 

Five  of  No.  4;  ten  of  No.  3;  five  of  No.  i;  three 

outer  petals. 


LARGE   WHITE    OR   YELLOV^    ROSE. 

The  large  white  roses  are  made  in  white  paper,  either  pre- 
pared for  the  purpose  by  tinting  stripes  of  it  with  primrose- 


286 


WffAT  CAN-  BE  DONE   WITH  TISSUE-PA  PEE. 


Fig.  94. 
Ten  of  each  size  (3,  4,  1,2,);  five  outer  petals. 


color  (in  which  case  the  petals  must  have  their  points  cut 
out  of  the  striped  part  of  the  paper),  or  wholly  white,  in 
which  case  they  must  have  a  little  pale  chrome  rubbed  into 
them.     The   paper  for  yellow  roses    is    generally  prepared 

with  stripes  of  a  deeper 
shade  across  it ;  but,  if 
unshaded,  the  petals 
must  be  colored  in  the 
same  way  with  a  deeper 
shade  of  chrome. 

Some    of    the    varie- 
gated    roses     are    very 
pretty  made  in  paper  of 
different    colors,    mixed 
together  according  to  the  color  of   the  real  rose.     All  are 
done  in  the  same  way,  with  due  observation  of   the  charac- 
teristic peculiarities  of  each  species. 

The  single  and  double  poppies  are  cut  out  in  separate 
petals,  and  put  on,  with  gum  and  thread,  round  the  seed-pod. 
If  not  prepared,  they  will  require  to  be  painted  in  the  cen- 
tre of  the  petals.  The  larger  ones  must  be  cupped  by  draw- 
ing the  ball-tool  down  them,  as  directed  for  rose-leaves ;  and 
they  should  be  crinkled  by  drawing  the  nippers,  slightly 
opened,  down  several  of  the  petals  placed  one  upon  another 
on  the  cushion.  This  will  form  rib-like  marks,  and  pucker 
up  the  lower  part  of  the  petals. 

Carnations  require  only  a  little  crumpling  in  the  fingers. 
They  must  be  folded  in  and  out,  to  give  the  appearance  of 
the  real  flower,  and  the  stalk,  with  its  forked  pointal,  drawn 
through  each  of  the  circles,  and  then  through  the  calyx ;  the 
centre  of  each  circle  being  touched  with  gum,  so  that  they 
may  adhere  to  each  other. 

The   pomegranate   is  very   effective   in   paper.     A  little 


LARGE   WHITE  OR    YELLOW  ROSE, 


287 


foundation  bud  should  be  made  by  rolling  a  strip  of  the 
pomegranate  paper  round  the  wire  stalk ;  and  the  smaller 
petals  are  put  on  in  threes  together,  five  in  a  row,  the  larger 
ones  being  placed  round  them  in  like  manner.     All  should 


Fig.  95. 
a.  Chrysanthemum,  five  of  each  size.    h.    Carnation,  five.    c.    Pomegranate,  —  2,  twenty;   1, 
fifteen,    d.  Pyrus  Japonica^  five.    e.  Wallflower,  —  i,  one;  2,  two;  3,  two.  f.  Cineraria,    g. 
Jessamine.    A.  Clematis. 


be  well  crumpled  and  crinkled  with  the  nippers  before  they 
are  put  on ;  and  the  points  must  be  gummed  together,  so 
that  the  flower  may  not  fall  to  pieces.     The  blossom  must 


2SS         WHAT  CAN  BE  DONE   WITH  TISSUE-PAPER, 

be  gummed  into  the  calyx,  which  is  generally  lined  with 
cotton-wool ;  and  the  stem  must  be  covered  with  reddish- 
brown  paper.  A  spray  of  pomegranates  should  be  made 
with  two  or  three  buds  at  the  top,  three  or  four  flowers,  and 
some  leaves  underneath  these. 

Chrysanthemums  are  pretty  in  paper.  They  are  often 
sold  in  tinted  circles  of  various  sizes,  but  the  white  ones 
may  be  cut  out  of  paper  tinted  with  a  little  primrose-color 
in  the  centres.  The  points  must  be  ribbed  by  drawing  the 
nippers,  slightly  opened,  sharply  down  each  ;  and  this  is  most 
easily  done  by  placing  several  circles  together  on  the  cush- 
ion, and  moulding  them  together.  They  are  not  so  easily 
broken  thus  as  when  done  separately.  Then  they  must  be 
separated,  and  gummed  together  on  the  stalk ;  the  smallest 
petals  closing  up,  and  the  larger  ones  lying  flat  behind  them. 

Paper  leaves  are  the  least  natural  form  of  this  work ;  and 
it  is  better  to  use  either  wax  or  linen  ones,  the  latter  being 
very  inexpensive.  If  made  at  home,  they  must  be  cut  from 
the  stiff  paper,  dampened,  and  pressed  into  leaf-moulds ;  and 
when  dry,  a  wire  is  pasted  down  the  back,  another  paper 
leaf  cut,  and  gummed  over  it,  and  the  whole  pressed  again 
into  the  mould.  Poppies  are  easily  imitated.  Chrysanthe- 
mums are  very  pretty,  and  several  diagrams  are  given  here 
that  can  be  followed  readily. 

Crinkled  lamp-shades  are  very  pretty  ;  being  simply  a  large 
circle,  with  hole  for  the  top  of  the  shade,  the  whole  twisted 
closely,  and  then  unrolled.  Other  lamp-shades  are  made  by 
tracing  a  pattern  on  them,  and  cutting  it  out  with  very  fine, 
sharp  scissors,  putting  a  contrasting  color  underneath.  For 
covering  up  unsightly  chimney-places  in  the  country,  nothing 
is  prettier  than  a  cascade  of  tinted  tissue-paper  which  has 
been  cut  into  fine  fringes,  and  then  crimped.  Flowers  may 
be  made,  and  arranged  with  ferns  and  grasses  for  the  centre. 


LARGE    WHITE  OR    YELLOW  ROSE.  289 

For  younger  children  a  pond-lily  mat,  made  by  gumming 
paper  pond-lilies  closely  about  a  circle  of  cardboard,  is  one 
of  the  prettiest  and  most  satisfactory  things  that  can  be 
made  from  paper  ;  and  the  flowers  add  much,  also,  to  Christ- 
mas decorations.  Tissue-paper,  as  every  one  knows,  is  used 
for  pattern-costumes ;  and  at  least  one  large  party  has  been 
given  where  every  dress  was  of  this  material.  For  dolls  it 
can  be  used  with  the  greatest  success ;  and  any  girl  can  have 
as  many  changes  for  her  young-lady  doll  as  heart  could  de- 
sire, and  get  many  hints  to  be  used  on  her  own  when  older. 


290  CARDBOARD  AND  ITS  USES, 


CHAPTER  V. 

CARDBOARD  AND   ITS   USES. 

Whoever  learns  to  handle  cardboard  carefully,  and  to  cut 
out  with  a  steady  hand  the  many  beautiful  designs  that  can 
be  used,  has  taken  the  first  step  toward  successful  wood- 
carving.  But  cardboard  is  far  cheaper,  and  also  less  trouble- 
some to  manage,  than  wood  ;  and  a  girl  of  any  ingenuity  can 
make  cardboard  furniture  for  a  small  doll's  house  that  will 
imitate  perfectly  any  style  they  choose.  Nearly  ten  years  ago, 
"  St.  Nicholas,"  which  has  do-ne  so  many  good  things  for  chil- 
dren, described  in  the  number  for  May,  1874,  a  city  of  card- 
board, called  "  Christmas  City,"  in  which  the  tallest  buildings 
were  just  two  inches  and  a  half  high,  and  which  had  stores, 
and  a  bank,  and  churches,  a  city-hall  and  hotel,  and  a  number 
of  public  buildings.  Later,  the  maker  of  this  made  "  Holi- 
day Harbor,"  with  ships  lying  at  anchor,  and  storehouses 
and  docks,  and  a  train  of  cars  ready  for  loading  on  freight. 
Cardboard  for  such  uses  must,  of  course,  be  smooth;  that 
with  holes  being  used  only  in  embroidery,  and  in  a  few  orna- 
mental forms. 

In  making  a  small  cottage,  there  would  be  seven  pieces  to 
cut  from  the  sheet  of  cardboard,  which  must  first  be  drawn 
on  it,  —  a  front  and  a  back  exactly  alike.  Two  sides,  like 
this,  are  also  to  be  cut,  and  then  the  two  halves  of  the  roof, 
and  a  little  chimney. 

In  cutting  out,  lay  the  cardboard  on  a  board,  and  use  a 
sharp  knife,  following  the  lines  exactly.     Cut  out  the  win- 


CARDBOARD  AND  ITS  USES, 


391 


dows  and  doors.  For  the  windows,  a  bit  of  mica  may  be 
pasted  inside  for  glass,  first  pasting  two  narrow  strips  cross- 
wise for  sashes.  The  window-piece  is  to  be  cut  in  two, 
lengthwise,  pasted  each  side  of  the  window,  and  painted 
green  or  brown  for  blinds.  A  bit  of  colored  paper  will  imi- 
tate curtains  behind  the  sash,  if  mica  cannot  be  had  For 
the  doors,  take  two  very  narrow  strips  of  paper,  and  paste 
half  of  each  strip  on  the  back  of  the  door,  and  the  other  on 
the   inside  of   the  front.     When  the  paste  dries,  the  door 


^ 


Fig.  97.  —  Side  of  Cot- 

TAGX. 


Fig.  98.  — Half  of  Roof. 


Fig.  96.  —  Front  and  Back 
OP  Cottage. 


H 


Fig.  99.  — Chimney, 


Fig.  100.  — Window. 


will  open  and  shut.  A  very  narrow  strip  of  dark-brown 
paper  pasted  all  around  the  edge  of  the  door  will  look  like 
a  moulding ;  and  a  door-knob  and  bell  can  be  painted.  Four 
little  cleats,  half  the  size  of  a  match,  must  be  used  in  putting 
the  whole  together.  A  cleat  is  to  be  pasted  to  the  inside 
of  the  front,  at  each  end,  and  allowed  to  dry  in  the  sun. 
When  they  have  dried,  wet  each  with  paste,  and  lay  the  two 
sides  against  them,  making  the  edges  even,  and  letting  them 
dry.  The  cleats  can  be  pasted  to  the  back  while  you  are 
waiting  for  the  front  to  dry,  and  the  roof  can  then  be  put 
on.     Paste  it  together  at  the  top  edges,  and  then  paste  the 


^2  CARDBOARD  AND  ITS  USES. 

top  edges  of  the  house  to  hold  the  roof  when  set  on.  After 
the  roof  is  firm,  cover  it  with  black  or  dark-red  paper.  The 
chimney  may  better  be  of  wood  of  the  shape  given,  and 
pasted  also ;  and  the  ridge  is  made  by  pasting  on  a  very 
narrow  strip  of  cardboard.  Sometimes,  instead  of  cleats, 
the  cuts  are  made  in  the  cardboard  a  little  beyond  the  lines 
given,  and  the  pieces  thus  made  bent  down  at  the  lines, 
and  pasted  wherever  a  joining  is  made.  When  a  simple 
little  cottage  has  been  made  like  this,  it  will  easily  be  seen 
how  to  improve  upon  it.  A  good  way  is  to  take  the  plans 
and  elevations  for  houses  given  in  such  papers  as  "The 
Agriculturist,"  or  "American  Rural  Home,"  and  try  to  imi- 
tate them  exactly.  If  you  want  ground  or  grass-plots  about 
your  houses,  cover  the  board  on  which  it  will  stand  with 
mucilage,  and  sprinkle  on  common  house-sand  for  paths, 
putting  short  green  moss  for  grass.  An  ivy-vine  can  be 
made  with  painted  cardboard  leaves.  Bay-windows  and 
piazzas  are  easily  added ;  and  there  is  no  limit  when  once 
you  have  found  just  how  to  do  the  work  neatly  and  firmly. 
Animals  can  be  made,  and  very  natural  ones  too,  by  tracing 
the  pattern  for  one  from  pictures  in  any  natural  history ; 
then,  following  the  lines  exactly,  and  painting  as  nearly 
like  the  copy  as  possible. 

With  perforated  cardboard  there  are  endless  uses,  from 
the  mottoes  which  may  be  embroidered,  and  by  which  chil- 
dren may  learn  some  mysteries  of  shading  and  stitches,  to 
the  beautiful  fret-work,  which  has  a  real  value.  This  fret- 
work is  done  by  laying  the  cardboard  on  a  board,  and  cutting 
away,  with  the  point  of  a  very  sharp  penknife,  whatever  de- 
sign has  been  fixed  upon.  If  any  cut  meets  another,  of 
course  the  entire  piece  is  carried  away,  and  the  greatest 
care  is  necessary  to  prevent  this.  The  finest  board  must 
be  used.     A  Maltese  cross  is  made  by  cutting  the  size  re- 


CARDBOARD  AND  ITS  USES,  293 

quired,  being  sure  that  it  is  begun  with  an  even  number  of 
holes ;  then  cut  each  successive  piece  one  hole  smaller  on 
each  side,  gumming  them  all  together.  The  last  layer  will 
have  but  one  hole.  When  dry,  paste  on  black  velvet,  and 
frame,  the  effect  being  almost  like  carving.  A  lamp-shade 
may  be  made  of  five  pieces,  each  a  third  narrower  at  top 
than  at  bottom.  Cut  an  oval  space  from  the  centre  of  each, 
and  fit  or  paste  on  a  small  picture.  Then  build  up  a  frame, 
as  in  the  Maltese  cross,  by  laying  on  pieces,  each  one  a  little 
smaller  than  the  last.  Or  scallops  can  be  cut  around  the 
edge,  each  piece  carefully  lined,  and  the  whole  laced  to- 
gether with  very  fine  silk  cord,  little  tassels  hanging  between 
each.  Bookmarks  are  pretty  in  fret-work,  gummed  to  rib- 
bon. And  there  are  many  ways  of  using  that  will  occur  to 
every  ingenious  girl ;  though  let  me  tell  you,  in  confidence, 
that  such  work  is  best  for  younger  sisters,  who  enjoy  and 
learn  from  it ;  but  it  has  not  real  beauty  and  value  enough  to 
be  done  by  older  hands  ;  much  of  it  in  a  room  giving  a  cheap 
look.  Modelling  in  the  plain  cardboard  is  quite  another 
matter,  and  educates  both  eye  and  hand  ;  but  the  perforated 
board  may  better  be  let  alone  after  childhood. 


294        PRESERVING  AUTUMN  LEAVES,  FERNS,  ETC, 


CHAPTER  VI. 

PRESERVING  AUTUMN    LEAVES,    FERNS,   ETC. 

The  walking-club  already  mentioned  will  have  made  the 
gathering  of  ferns  and  autumn  leaves  part  of  its  work ;  and 
a  little  trouble  expended  in  drying  them  carefully  will  give 
winter  ornaments,  which  in  the  right  place  are  always  beau- 
tiful. The  right  place  is  certainly  not  on  lace  curtains,  from 
which  they  are  perpetually  falling,  nor  anywhere  where  they 
are  liable  to  be  constantly  knocked  off.  Single  ones  are 
often  used  to  great  advantage  in  transparencies  ;  but  the 
best  arrangement  for  all  such  collections  is  in  a  large  vase, 
either  in  a  niche,  or  on  a  corner-bracket,  where  a  dark  back- 
ground will  bring  out  the  beauty  of  form  and  color.  A  few 
feathery  dried  grasses,  tall  bleached  ferns,  and  sprays  of 
maiden-hair,  and  bright  leaves  interspersed,  will  be  pleasant 
to  the  eye  through  all  the  winter  months. 

In  gathering  ferns,  never  hold  them  in  the  hand,  as  they 
wither  immediately,  and  cannot  be  restored.  Carry  a  bas- 
ket and  an  old  book.  Lay  long  specimens  in  the  basket, 
and  small  ones  between  the  leaves  of  the  book.  If  there 
are  no  old  bound  volumes  of  newspapers  given  over  to  such 
uses,  cut  and  fold  the  large  dailies  the  full  length,  so  that 
the  longest  fern  will  have  full  room  to  be  laid  flat.  Put 
each  one  in  separately ;  and,  when  all  are  in,  put  under  an 
even,  heavy  weight.  Have  a  duplicate  set  of  folded  papers, 
and  change  each  day,  drying  the  damp  papers  near  a  fire,  so 
that  they  will  be  ready  to  use  next  day.     A  week  of  this  is 


PRESERVING  AUTUMN  LEAVES,  FERNS,  ETC.        295 

enough.  But  the  ferns  may  better  remain  in  the  papers  till 
wanted.  If  the  stems  break,  use  very  fine  wire,  by  means  of 
which  they  can  be  fastened  in  almost  any  position. 

Autumn  leaves,  if  treated  in  precisely  this  way,  will  never 
shrivel,  and  require  no  ironing.  Gather  large  sprays,  as  far 
as  possible,  and  lay  each  leaf  in  its  natural  position.  Pressed 
in  this  way,  they  can  be  used  above  pictures,  and  are  much 
more  easily  handled.  Another  method  has  lately  been  given 
in  one  of  Appleton's  "  Home  Books,"  which  is  better  than 
ironing,  or  the  ordinary  varnishing  or  waxing.  The  leaves 
are  first  pressed  as  described.  Melt  pure  white  sheet  wax  by 
putting  it  in  a  dish,  and  standing  it  in  hot  water,  allowing  two 
or  three  drops  of  turpentine  to  each  sheet.  Each  leaf  is  to 
be  dipped  in  the  melted  wax,  and  held  there  a  few  moments  ; 
then  taken  out,  and  laid  on  paper  to  harden.  "  If  the  wax 
is  of  the  proper  heat,  the  leaf  will  look  as  if  just  varnished ; 
while,  if  too  hot,  it  will  shrivel,  and,  if  too  cool,  lumps  will 
form  on  the  surface  of  the  leaf.  Leaves  treated  in  this  way 
seem  perfectly  natural,  but  can  also  be  varnished." 

Grasses  come  to  perfection  in  midsummer,  and,  though 
sometimes  pressed  like  leaves,  can  simply  be  tied  in  bunches, 
and  hung,  tops  down,  to  dry.  Many  people  bleach  or  dye 
them  ;  but  my  advice  is  like  Punch's  to  young  people  think- 
ing of  matrimony,  —  "  Don't."  Their  beauty  is  in  their  natu- 
ralness ;  and  magenta  or  blue  grass  is,  most  certainly,  any 
thing  but  natural. 

Seaweeds  are  at  their  best  in  July,  August,  and  Septem- 
ber. In  collecting  them  it  is  best  to  carry  a  little  pail  of 
sea-water,  and,  as  each  specimen  is  gathered,  drop  it  in ;  as, 
if  carried  any  distance  without  water,  they  lose  much  of 
their  beauty.  Low  tide  is  the  time  for  gathering  them  ;  and 
old  clothes  and  shoes  will  be  necessary,  as  the  best  speci- 
mens have  to  be  scrambled  for.     Wash  away  every  particle 


296        PRESERVING  AUTUMN  LEAVES,   FERNS,  ETC. 

of  sand  or  slime  by  rinsing  them  many  times  in  fresh  water. 
Then  lay  them  in  a  shallow  dish  of  water,  and  float  them 
on  to  the  cards  or  sheets  you  propose  to  mount  them  on, 
arranging  every  strand  and  fibre  with  delicate  scissors,  or  a 
black-head  pin.  Drain  the  water  carefully  off  by  slanting 
the  card ;  dry  for  a  moment  with  a  very  soft  cloth ;  and 
then  press  them  in  newpaper-books,  changing  them  several 
times  until  dry.  Sometimes  mucilage  is  necessary.  A  full 
description  of  all  varieties  found  on  our  coasts,  with  the  best 
methods  of  treating  them,  is  given  in  a  book  on  sea-mosses, 
the  full  title  of  which  is  on  p.  411. 

The  town  of  Erfurt  in  Germany  is  noted  for  its  drying  of 
natural  flowers  so  perfectly  that  they  are  sent  without  in- 
jury to  all  parts  of  the  world.  The  finest  sand  is  used,  and 
directions  from  the  German  authority  are  given  here. 

"  In  the  first  place  the  sand  must  have  water  poured  over  it 
until  it  runs  off  clear,  every  particle  of  dust  or  dirt  having 
been  carried  off.  Then  dry  it,  either  by  spreading  in  the  sun 
or  in  an  oven,  and,  when  dry,  sift  carefully.  The  sand  will 
then  be  pure,  like  *  silver  sand.'  The  flowers  to  be  dried  in 
it  must  be  very  perfect  specimens,  and  no  moisture  on  them 
from  dew  or  rain.  Gather  them  after  the  dew  has  dried. 
Put  a  deep  layer  of  sand  in  box  or  pan,  in  which  holes  have 
been  bored,  and  a  paper  laid  over  them,  and  stick  each 
flower  upright  in  it,  not  letting  one  touch  the  other.  When 
all  are  in  position,  the  troublesome  part  of  the  work  begins. 
The  box  is  to  be  filled  with  sand,  so  that  every  flower  is  per- 
fectly covered,  and  every  leaf  and  petal  must  rest  firmly  on 
sand  before  it  is  covered.  To  do  this  the  sand  is  sprinkled 
slowly  through  a  small  sieve  or  a  funnel ;  and,  when  the  bo. 
is  full,  it  must  be  covered,  and  carried,  without  jostling  01 
shaking,  to  a  warm,  dry  place ;  the  best  temperature  being  a 
steady  one  of  100°  F.     In  three  days  the  flowers  should  be 


PRESERVING   AUTUMN  LEAVES,   FERNS,   ETC.        297 

dry.  The  sand  must  then  be  run  out  from  the  box  by 
piercing  through  the  paper  in  the  bottom,  first  taking  off 
the  lid,  so  that  each  flower  as  it  appears  can  be  lifted  out 
by  the  stem,  and  carefully  shaken.  At  first  they  will  be 
very  dry  and  brittle,  but  soon  draw  moisture  from  the  air, 
and  can  then  be  arranged  as  liked.  Flowers  are  also  pre- 
served by  dipping  in  paraffin e-oil. 

Skeletonizing  leaves  and  flowers  is  a  very  old  art,  the  best 
use  of  which  at  present  is  to  teach  forms  and  characteristics 
of  plants.  The  simplest  method,  though  a  long  one,  is  to 
gather  each  variety  of  leaf  when  in  perfection,  and  put  in  a 
tub  of  rain-water,  open  to  air  and  sunshine.  A  month,  at 
least,  will  be  needed  before  any  become  soft  and  pulpy. 
Then  put  feelings  aside  altogether,  and  go  at  the  most  un- 
pleasant and  slimy  job  of  making  them  ready  for  bleaching. 
"  Slip  a  card  under  the  one  to  be  taken  out,  and  so  transfer 
it  to  a  basin  of  fresh  water,  when  it  will  float  off  the  card 
without  breaking.  Two  or  three  brushes  and  a  knife  are 
then  needed  for  the  cleaning,  —  a  soft  brush,  one  of  stiff er 
bristles,  and  a  toothbrush.  With  the  soft  brush,  the  outer 
surface  of  pulp  is  brushed  away,  the  leaf  being  again  lifted 
by  a  card,  and  placed  on  a  piece  of  smooth  glass ;  and  then, 
by  dexterous  touches,  the  entire  pulpy  surface  is  removed, 
water  being  carefully  poured  over  it  to  complete  the  cleans- 
ing." 

For  bleaching,  take  half  a  pound  of  chloride  of  lime,  with 
three  pints  of  soft  water,  and  stir  and  mash  the  lime  fine. 
Then  put  away  the  pitcher  holding  it,  and  let  it  settle  an 
hour ;  finally  straining  it  into  a  bottle,  which  must  be  kept 
corked.  For  bleaching,  put  two  tablespoonfuls  of  this  solu- 
tion to  a  pint  of  water ;  though  for  thick  leaves,  like  holly, 
magnolia,  etc.,  three  will  be  needed.  Watch  the  leaves  care- 
fully as  you  lay  them  in  ;  and  as  soon  as  bleached,  which  will 


298        PRESERVING  AUTUMN  LEAVES,  FERNS,  ETC. 

take  only  a  few  moments,  float  them  off  on  cards,  and  dry  on 
a  soft  cloth.  Then  press  in  a  book  ;  and  in  a  day  or  two  they 
will  be  ready  to  mount,  either  as  a  bouquet,  or  with  a  back- 
ground of  black  velvet.  Stems  are  often  lost ;  but  good  ones 
can  be  made  by  stiffening  crochet-cotton  with  gum,  and 
gumming  it  to  the  back  of  the  leaf.  The  most  usual  way  is 
to  have  a  round  velvet  cushion,  with  hole  in  the  centre,  and 
arrange  the  wreath  or  bouquet  on  this,  putting  it  on  a  stand 
with  glass  shade.  The  stems  must  be  gummed  to  the  sides 
of  this  hole  ;  letting  light  leaves  be  the  centre,  and  seed- 
vessels,  etc.,  around  them.  A  cross  covered  with  black 
cotton-backed  velvet  makes  a  very  pretty  ornament.  There 
are  various  other  methods  of  bleaching  and  preparing ;  but 
this  is  the  simplest  for  beginners,  who,  as  they  progress,  can 
experiment  at  will. 


IVHA T  MAY  BE  DONE    WITH  LEA THER.  299 


CHAPTER  VII. 

WHAT  MAY   BE   DONE   WITH   LEATHER. 

The  use  of  leather  can  be  made  much  more  general  than  is 
supposed  by  the  many  who  recall  picture-frames  in  country 
houses,  covered  thickly  with  impossible  flowers,  and  who 
think  **  leather-work "  only  another  word  for  wasted  time. 
As  a  fact,  however,  the  industrial  art  schools  have  all  taken 
it  up,  finding  that  leather  lends  itself  to  many  uses,  and  that 
really  beautiful  articles  can  be  modelled  or  constructed  from 
it. 

Where  flowers  or  leaves  are  copied,  it  is  necessary  to  imi- 
tate nature  as  closely  as  possible;  and  the  leaf  or  flower 
should  be  before  one  precisely  as  much  as  when  a  drawing 
is  to  be  made.  Carvings  of  every  sort  can  also  be  copied, 
and  architectural  mouldings  also ;  and  the  work  is  one  of 
the  pleasantest  introductions  to  wood-carving. 

The  materials  necessary  for  the  work  are  skins  of  thick 
leather,  prepared  for  it,  called  basily  and  of  thinner  leather, 
called  skiver ;  moulds  nor  making  grapes  and  convolvulus- 
flowers  ;  wooden  pestles  and  moulding-tools ;  a  knife,  scis- 
sors, nippers,  hammer,  pins,  wire,  small  brad-awls  for 
piercing,  a  tool  for  veining  the  leaves,  and  glue,  which  is 
generally  prepared  in  sheets,  to  be  melted  as  required.  It 
must  be  soaked  for  several  hours  in  cold  water,  and  then 
gradually  heated,  and  kept  hot  while  in  use. 

The  leather  is  cut  and  veined  on  a  thin  board. 


300  WHA T  MAY  BE  DONE    WITH  LEA THER, 


A   SPRAY   OF    IVY-LEAVES. 

This  is,  perhaps,  the  most  easily  modelled  spray  to  begin 
with ;  and  any  patterns  of  leaves  may  be  obtained  by  putting 
the  real  ones  on  paper,  and  tracing  round  them,  and  copying 
the  veinings.  Place  the  paper  pattern  on  the  leather,  and 
cut  it  out  in  the  whole  spray.  Pare  the  edges  with  the  knife 
on  the  under  side  of  the  leather,  so  as  to  make  the  leaves 
and  stalks  thinner  at  the  edges ;  then  dip  the  spray  in  cold 
water,  or  put  it  on  the  board,  and  damp  it  thoroughly  with 
a  wet  sponge.  It  must  not  be  too  wet,  or  it  will  be  swollen 
by  the  water ;  but  while  dry  it  will  not  receive  the  impres- 
sion of  the  veiner,  neither  can  it  be  moulded  into  shape. 
The  veining  is  to  be  done  by  pressing  the  small  vfeining-tool 
on  the  front  side  of  the  leather,  and  drawing  it  down  and 
across  the  leaf  with  sufficient  force  to  give  the  markings  of 
the  real  leaf.  The  middle  vein  is  made  by  double  lines. 
When  all  the  leaves  have  been  veined,  they  are  to  be 
modelled  into  shape,  and  curled,  as  in  nature.  The  leather 
leaf  should  be  held  in  the  left  hand,  and  the  under  part  of  it 
pressed  with  the  thumb  and  second  finger  of  the  right  hand, 
while  the  forefinger  presses  it  on  the  top,  so  as  to  push  the 
leather  up  between  the  veins,  and  to  curl  the  edges  over. 
The  middle  stem  and  the  leaf-stalks  must  be  laid  on  the 
board,  face  downwards,  and  rolled  with  the  palm  of  the  hand 
till  they  are  quite  round.  They  will  not  require  wire.  When 
quite  dry,  they  will  retain  their  roundness,  and  the  leaves 
will  keep  their  shape  and  the  impressions  of  the  veining-tool. 
In  order  to  make  them  firmer  and  stiffer,  it  may  be  as  well 
to  put  a  coating  of  glue  over  the  under  part  of  the  leaves, 
and  to  glue  up  the  stems  into  close,  round  stalks.  The  ber- 
ries of  the  ivy  are  made  by  pushing  small  circles  of  the  thin 
part  of  the  leather  into  little  round  holes  in  the  small  mould 


A  SPRAY  OF  IVY-LEAVES, 


301 


(well  wetting  them  first),  and  moulding  them  by  turning  the 
smallest  pestle  round  and  round  in  the  hole.  They  are 
pulled  out  of  the  hole  in  shape,  and  left  to  dry;  after  which 
they  are  trimmed,  and  glued  on  to  the  circles  made  for  them 
on  the  spray.  The  five  outer  berries  are  cut  out  on  the 
branch,  and  must  be  moulded  also.     Holly-berries,  currants. 


Fig.  ioi.  —  Ivy-Leaves. 
*  The  same  moulded  and  filled  up. 

and  small  grapes,  are  made  in  the  same  way,  in  moulds  of 
various  sizes.  The  spray  is  now  ready  to  be  glued  to  the 
wooden  frame  on  which  it  is  to  be  mounted,  which,  if  not 
entirely  concealed  by  tjie  leaves,  must  be  prepared  by  a  cov- 
ering of  the  thin  skiver  glued  over  it.  The  leaves  and  stalks 
must  be  glued  on  firmly  over  this  ;  and  it  is  best  to  secure 
them  in  their  places  by  the  pins,  which  are  hammered  a  little 
way  in,  and  these  can  either  be  withdrawn  when  the  work  is 
quite  firm,  or  the  upper  part  of  the  pin  may  be  broken  oft 
with  the  nippers,  and  the  point  left  in  the  frame  if  it  will  be 
concealed  by  the  leaves.  The  glue  must  be  kept  very  hot 
while  in  use,  and  in  a  moderate  degree  of  consistency.     If  it 


302  tVHAT  MAY  BE  DONE    WiTH  LEATtlER. 

is  too  thick,  it  cannot  be  laid  on  smoothly ;  and,  if  it  is  too 
thin,  it  is  apt  to  stain  the  work.  Especial  care  must  be 
taken  to  avoid  glue-stains  when  the  work  is  left  uncolored 
and  unvarnished  ;  and  this  is  generally  the  case  in  the  pres- 
ent day.  It  is  found,  that  the  leather  left  in  its  original  con- 
dition becomes  of  a  very  nice  artistical  color  when  long 
exposed  to  the  air,  and  is  better  unstained  by  any  preparation 
of  paint  or  varnish. 


Fig.  I02.  —  I.  Holly-Leaf.  2.  Oak-Leaf.  3.  Half- Acorn  Pattern. 

Sprays  of  holly-leaves  and  berries  are  made  exactly  in  the 
same  way  as  the  ivy;  but  the  leaves  must  be  pinched  at 
the  edges  into  points,  to  imitate  the  original  leaves. 

The  acorns  are  bCvSt  made  by  covering  the  real  acorns  with 
skiver :  but,  if  these  cannot  be  obtained,  they  must  be  cut 
out  in  halves,  like  the  pattern,  moulded,  and  stuffed  with 
cotton-wool ;  and  the  cup  must  be  very  much  pricked, 
snipped,  and  indented,  to  give  the  rough  appearance  of  the 
original.  The  half  acorn  alone  will  generally  be  sufficient 
to  glue  on  a  frame  or  bracket,  etc.,  unless  it  is  to  be  pen- 
dent ;  in  which  case,  of  course,  the  whole  acorn  will  be 
needed,  and  it  would  be  best  to  cover  one  separately  from 
the  cup,  and  glue  into  that.  Nuts  and  filberts  are  made  in 
the  same  manner,  and  fastened  into  a  thin  leather  involucre, 
cut  out  from  the  original,  and  jagged  in  the  same  way. 
Pendent  grapes  are  made  in  a  similar  fashion  ;  but,  for  these, 
little  wooden  moulds  of  light  wood  are  required.     They  are 


A  SPRA  y  OF  IVY-LEA  VES. 


303 


covered  with  skiver  made  very  wet,  and  drawn  closely  round 
them,  and  tied  with  cotton  at  the  stalk-end.  As  soon  as 
they  are  quite  dry,  the  cotton  is  taken  off,  and  the  leather 
cut  away,  so  as  to  leave  a  smooth  point  ready  to  be  attached 
to  the  stalk,  or  be  glued  into  the  bunch.  The  grapes  that 
are  not  pendent  are  made  in  the  moulds,  in  the  same  way 


Fig.  X03.— Vine  Lbap  and  Stalk. 
«.  ^Stalk.    b,  6,  b.  Tendrils     c.  Method  of  doing  the  grapes. 


as  the  ivy  and  holly  berries,  and  glued  on  a  piece  of 
leather ;  the  lower  ones  concealing  the  foundation,  and  the 
others  being  piled  on,  one  half  over  another,  so  as  to  form  a 
compact   bunch   of  grapes   of  various   sizes.     The  branch, 


304 


WHA  T  MAY  BE  DONE    WITH  LEA  THER. 


leaves,  and  tendrils  of  the  vine,  must  be  very  carefully 
modelled,  veined,  and  rolled.  The  broad  strip  of  leather  cut 
out  for  the  stalk  is  to  be  very  much  veined,  wrinkled,  folded, 
and  twisted,  to  represent  nature.  It  is  impossible  to  de- 
scribe its  manufacture  accurately ;  and  it  can  hardly  be  done 
without  a  pattern,  or  the  real  branch  to  model  from.  The 
tendrils  should  have  a  vein  drawn  down  the  under  side,  so 
as  to  make  them  curl  over  more  easily ;  and  then  they  are 
rolled  and  glued  like  the  flower  leaf-stalks. 

CONVOLVULUS   FLOWERS   AND   LEAVES. 

The  flowers  of  the  convolvulus  are  moulded  in  the  moulds 
sold  for  the  purpose,  of  various  sizes,  with  pestles  fitting  into 


Fig.  104,  —  Convolvulus  Flowers  and  Leaves. 
X.  Leaf  of  C.  major.    2.  Leaves  for  small  convolvulus     3    Flower  of  C.  major.    4.  Calyx  of  C 

major.    5 .  Bud  of  C.  major. 

them.     The  leather  is  cut  out,  of  the  shape  No.  3,  wetted, 
and  pressed  into  the  mould  with    the  pestle  in   the   right 


LARGE   GARDEN  ROSE.  305 

hand ;  while  the  left  hand  arranges  the  flower,  so  as  to  have 
it  as  smooth  and  unwrinkled  as  possible.  The  leather  is  cut 
close  round  the  edge  of  the  mould,  and  left  to  dry.  After- 
wards it  has  to  be  glued  up,  and  attached  to  the  stalk.  It  is 
best  to  cut  a  separate  spray  of  stalks  for  the  flowers  and 
buds  and  tendrils,  snipping  the  points  of  the  flower-stems 
into  stamens,  cut  very  thin,  and  curled  while  wet,  and  twist- 
ing up  the  buds  into  points.  The  stems  and  tendrils  are,  of 
course,  to  be  rounded  while  wet ;  and  the  latter  should  be 
twisted  round  a  pen-stick  or  pencil,  to  give  them  the  required 
coils.  When  dry,  the  stamens  are  pulled  through  the 
flowers,  the  calyx  modelled  into  shape,  and  pushed  up  the 
stalk,  and  all  are  firmly  glued  together.  Then  the  flower- 
spray  is  twined  round  the  spray  of  leaves,  and  the  two  sprays 
are  mounted  together. 

LARGE   GARDEN   ROSE. 

The  rose-petals  are  to  be  cut  out  in  circles  made  up  of 
five  petals  each.  Three  of  No.  i  are  required,  and  two  of  a 
size  smaller,  and  one  of  the  smallest  size,  which  can  easily 
be  graduated  from  pattern  No.  i. 

They  are  veined  in  the  centre  of  each  petal,  and  modelled 
in  the  hand  with  a  moulding-tool,  so  as  to  round  them  like 
rose-petals.  The  smallest  circle  is  closed  up,  and  the  petals 
are  glued  together ;  one  edge  of  the  petal  being  placed  over 
another  petal,  and  so  on.  The  circles  must  be  modelled  so 
that  all  but  two  of  No.  i  are  hollowed  in  the  inner  side  : 
these  are  moulded  so  as  to  turn  back,  and  are  not  so  much 
hollowed  as  the  others.  When  the  rose  is  formed,  the  stalk, 
with  a  little  knob  for  the  head,  must  be  pushed  through  the 
small  circle,  and  securely  fastened  to  it  (a  large  rose  will 
require  a  wire  within  the  leather  stem) ;  and  the  other  cir- 
cles must  be  pushed  up  in  their  turn,  observing  that  every 


3o6 


WHAT  MAY  BE  DONE    WITH  LEATHER. 


petal  is  placed  behind  and  between  the  two  front  ones,  and 
glued  on  to  the  inner  circles.  Finish  the  flower  by  attach- 
ing the  calyx  and  seed-pod  to  it.  It  is  well  to  cut  out  the 
leaves  in  the  spray.  No.  4  is  a  middle-sized  rose-leaf.  Buds 
are  made  by  a  circle  of  five  or  three  small  petals  glued  to- 
gether, and  placed  within  a  calyx  and  seed-pod ;  thorns,  by 
cutting  out  little  triangular  pieces  of  leather,  doubling,  and 
pinching  them  into  shape,  and  gluing  them  to  the  flower- 
stalk. 


Fig.  105.    Large  Garden  Rose. 
1.  Rose-petals.    2.  Calyx.    3.  Seed-pod.    4.  Leaf. 

The  small  double  roses  are  done  exactly  in  the  same  man- 
ner, with  smaller  petals,  leaves,  and  stems.  All  the  pieces 
composing  the  spray  should  be  carefully  pared  at  the  edges, 
so  that  the  leather  may  be  much  thinner  there.  The  single 
roses  have  only  one  circle  of  five  petals  (which  should  be 
veined  from  the  real  petal,  and  hollowed  into  shape),  and  a 
bunch  of  stamens  in  the  centre  of  the  flower.  These  are 
made  in  the  same  manner  as  the  stamens  in  wax  roses,  cut 
out  in  a  strip  of  skiver,  and  rolled  and  curled  by  the  fingers, 
and,  when  dry,  rolled  round  the  top  of  the  stalk,  and  glued 
neatly  to  it.     The   calyx  and  seed-pod  are,  of  course,  the 


LARGE   GARDEN  ROSE. 


307 


same  as  for  the  double  roses,  and  the  buds  are  made  in  same 
way. 

Very  pretty  effects  may  be  produced  in  this  way.  But 
there  are  better  uses  for  leather,  which  is  much  more  really 
decorative  when  simply  embossed,  or  used  to  imitate  fret- 
work carving,  as  in  the  cuts  below. 

For  these  designs,  cut  out  two  pieces  of  the  required 
shape,  as,  for  instance.  Fig.  i,  and  glue  them  together,  so 
as  to  present  two  smooth  surfaces.  When  quite  dry,  the 
piece  thus  made  must  be  laid  on  a  board,  and  the  ornament 
formed,  by  cutting  out  the  pieces,  which  would  be  sawed 
away  in  wood-carving,  by  gouges  and  chisels  of  various  sizes. 
These  must  be  held  upright  in  the  hand,  and  the  pattern 
stamped  out  according  to  the  thin  cardboard  pattern,  which 
should  be  laid  upon  the  leather.  The  gouges  used  should 
exactly  fit  the  curves  of  the  pattern,  so  as  to  cut  it  clean. 


Fig.  106.— Mouldings. 


Brackets  are  made  by  gluing  a  number  of  pieces  prepared 
thus  together,  over  a  foundation  of  wood,  and  ornamenting 
them  with  squares,  rounds,  and  ovals,  and  mouldings  cut 
out  in  the  same  way,  and  arranged  to  form  an  architectural 
design. 

Mr.  Charles  Godfrey  Leland,  whose  name  is  now  synony- 


308  WHA T  MAY  BE  DONE    WITH  LEA THER, 

mous,  with  the  best  work  of  industrial  art  schools  in  this 
country,  has  given  some  suggestions  for  the  use  of  old  tin 
cans,  which  have  been  practically  tested,  and  found  to  give 
results  which  are  astonishingly  effective,  as  well  as  very 
durable;  the  articles  bearing  rough  usage,  and  constantly 
improving  in  color. 

THE   REDEMPTION    OF   THE   TIN    CAN. 

"When  any  one  has  a  slight  knowledge  of  drawing,  or 
even  the  faculty  of  selecting  and  simply  tracing  patterns,  it 
is  an  easy  matter  to  adorn  a  house  cheaply  and  tastefully,  or 
to  make  many  objects  which  will  meet  with  a  ready  sale.  For 
many  years  I  have  made  a  study  of  adapting  to  the  use  of 
the  decorative  arts  objects  which  have  been  generally  wasted, 
and  I  am  now  almost  convinced  that  there  is  hardly  any  thing 
which  is  not  to  be  turned  to  account.  Nature,  strangely 
enough,  always  gives  two  useful  qualities  to  every  thing. 
The  ox  is  not  only  a  yielder  of  flesh,  but  his  skin  provides 
leather.  The  sheep  gives  mutton  and  wool ;  the  tree,  fruit 
and  wood.  And,  following  up  this  thought,  we  may  find  that 
there  are  minor  and  secondary  uses  in  almost  all  that  man 
rejects.  In  Roman  days  the  seaweed  was  called  by  Ter- 
ence vilis  alga,  the  *  worthless ;  *  but  now  it  has  a  double 
value,  —  as  manure  and  for  iodine.  And,  to  come  to  a  prac- 
tical illustration,  let  me  show  what  can  be  done  with  the  tin 
cans  which  are  to  be  found  on  every  lot  around  every  town, 
and,  indeed,  wherever  man  has  been. 

"  Most  people  know  that  leather  of  any  kind,  if  soaked  for 
some  time  in  warm  water,  becomes  very  soft  indeed.  In  this 
state  it  may  be  worked  almost  like  putty  or  paste.  When  it 
dries,  it  becomes  hard  again,  retaining  any  marks  which  have 
been  impressed  on  it.  If  soaked  in  alum-water,  it  becomes 
still  harder.     Now,  if  we  take  a  sheet  of  leather,  soaked  and 


THE  REDEMPTION  OF   THE    TIN  CAN. 


309 


soft,  and  draw  upon  it  a  pattern,  and  then  indent  the  back- 
ground of  this  pattern  with  a  stamp  or  punch,  the  pattern 
will,  of  course,  be  in  relief;  while  the  background  is  de- 


FiG.  107.  —  Can  with  Wooden  or  Leather  Handle  and  Base. 


pressed  a  little,  and,  if  the  stamp  be  rough,  it  will  be  corru- 
gated. That  is  to  say,  it  will  bear  a  close  resemblance  to 
any  ordinary  panel-carving  in  wood,  the  ground  of  which  is 
generally  indented  so  as  to  make  a  dark  relief  to  the  shining 
and  elevated  pattern. 


3IO 


WHA T  MAY  BE  DONE    WITH  LEA THER, 


"  The  tools  needed  for  this  work  are  few,  cheap,  and  simple. 
It  may  be  even  elegantly  effected  with  only  an  ivory  paper- 
knife  and  a  stamp  made  of  a  stick  of  any  hard  wood,  the  end 
of  which  has  been  cross-hatched  with  a  penknife,  like  a  com- 
mon office-seal.     But  for  better  work  a  small  wheel  of  metal, 


Fig.  108. —  Tin  Can  decorated 


the  size  of  a  three-cent  piece,  set  in  a  handle,  like  the  well- 
known  'pattern-wheel,'  is  the  best  to  run  pattern  lines  or 
outlines  with ;  while  the  stamp  can  be  made  of  steel  for 
thirty  cents. 

"It  is  also  advisable  to  have  a  pattern-wheel,  which  is  like 


THE  REDEMPTION  OF   THE    TIN  CAN. 


311 


Fig.  109— Tin  Can  doubled  and  ornamentsb. 


312 


WHA T  MAY  BE  DONE    WITH  LEA THEP, 


a  spur  set  in  a  handle,  and  which  is  commonly  sold  by  every 
shoemaker's  furnisher  for  twenty-five  cents.  Now,  suppos- 
ing that  the  sheet  of  leather  is  already  soft  (having  been  in 
water  for  at  least  twenty-four  hours),  spread  it  evenly  on  a 
board,  and  lay  upon  it  a  design  drawn  on  paper.  Then,  with 
the  pattern-wheel,  trace  the  design  through  on  the  leather. 


Fig.  ho  —Tools  for  ornamenting  the  Leather 

The  points  of  the  spur  or  rowel  will  go  through  the  paper, 
and  leave  dotted  lines  on  the  leather.  Then,  with  the  ivory 
paper-knife  or  wheel,  draw  the  outline.  Then,  with  the 
stamp  and  a  hammer,  indent  the  background. 

"  Now,  if  you  have  an  empty  round  tin  can,  we  will  suppose 


THE  REDEMPTION  OF   THE    TIN  CAN. 


313 


Fig.  Ill— Tin  Can  with  Basket  Handle. 


314  WHAT  MAY  BE  DONE    WITH  LEATHER. 

that  this  leather  will  exactly  fit  it.  Take  a  piece  of  tin,  or  a 
slip  of  thin,  flexible  wood,  and  make  of  it,  as  it  were,  the 
handle  of  a  bucket.  It  may  go  either  within  or  without  the 
leather  cover.  Cut  it  broad  where  it  touches  the  tin,  and 
narrow  at  top.  Then  cover  the  can  with  shellac-glue,  or 
glue  into  which  either  nitric  acid  or  a  little  glycerine  has 
been  infused  to  toughen  it ;  or,  if  you  cannot  get  these,  use 
common  glue,  or  tragacanth,  or  dextrine  gum,  and  paste  the 


Fig.  112  — Tin  Biscuit  or  Cracker  Bok. 


leather  firmly  on.  If  you  prefer  it,  the  leather  may  be 
pasted  on  the  tin,  and  the  pattern  worked  on  it  while  there. 
In  this  case,  the  work  will  be  very  much  facilitated  by  fitting 
into  the  can  a  round  cylinder  of  wood.  This  will  oppose  a 
resistance  to  the  hammering,  and  render  the  indenting  easier. 


THE  REDEMPTION  OF   THE    TIN  CAN.  315 

There  should  be  such  a  margin  to  the  leather  as  to  lap  over 
the  edge,  and  cover  the  inside.  This  must  be  cut  into  strips, 
so  that  one  may  lay  on  the  other.  Also  leave  sufficient  to 
turn  under,  and  cover  the  bottom. 

"  It  is  not  difficult  to  carve  wooden  handles,  which  may  be 
fastened  on  these  tins  with  screws,  and  the  whole  covered 
with  leather.  They  may  be  fitted  to  bases  turned  of  wood, 
and  then  ornamented,  and  used  for  flowers.  Even  if  covered 
with  only  plain  leather,  and  supplied  with  turned  lids,  they 
are  practically  very  useful  as  receptacles  for  many  objects. 
Any  tinsmith  or  tinker  will,  for  a  trifle,  solder  a  tin  handle 
on  a  can.  He  can  also  fit  the  end  of  one  inside  another,  and 
solder  it,  thus  doubling  the  length  of  the  can. 

"  The  pattern  may  be  raised  in  very  deep  relief  by  cutting 
it  out  of  thick  pasteboard,  and  putting  it  under  the  wet 
leather,  or  between  the  leather  and  tin  ;  then  press  the 
leather  down  on  the  mould  with  fingers  and  a  sponge,  till  it 
is  in  shape,  and  finish  with  the  stamp. 

"By  similar  ornamentation  with  leather,  square  biscuit  or 
cracker  boxes  may  be  converted  into  really  elegant  recepta- 
cles for  many  objects.  In  some  cases,  canvas  or  brown  -hol- 
land,  and  other  textile  fabrics,  may  be  substituted  for  leather. 
The  canvas  or  linen  may  be  very  well  ornamented  by  paint- 
ing on  it  with  the  dyes  sold  for  tapestry  painting.  A  very 
practicable  and  useful  dressing-case,  lunch-box,  or  other  box 
for  travelling,  may  be  made  of  an  empty  biscuit-box,  neatly 
covered  either  with  leather  or  canvas.  They  are  in  every 
way  preferable  to  those  which  are  made  of  wood. 

"When  the  pattern  is  stamped  on  the  leather,  its  effect 
may  be  greatly  improved  by  painting  or  staining  it  either  with 
black  dye  or  lignite  ink.  Raynald's  French  ink  also  answers 
the  purpose  of  a  dye  for  leather,  as  it  will  not  rub  ofE.  Very 
fine  effects  may  also  be  produced  by  cutting  out  patterns  of 


3l6  WHAT  MAY  BE  DONE    WITH  LEATHER. 

colored  leather  (such  as  scarlet,  orange,  etc.),  gluing  them  on 
the  brown  ground,  and  tooling,  or  running  the  edges  with 
the  wheel.  The  leather  used  to  cover  the  tins  may  be  skiver, 
or  split  sheep,  costing  from  twenty-five  to  fifty  cents  a  skin, 
or  russet,  of  a  better  quality,  costing  from  fifty  cents  to 
eighty.  Colored  leather  is  retailed  at  about  one  dollar  a 
skin. 

"  Tin  cans  covered  with  vellum,  or  very  thick  parchment, 
which  has  been  soaked  and  stamped,  exactly  resemble  carved 
ivory  cups.  The  stamping  may  be  made  by  cutting  a  die  in 
any  hard  wood." 

The  demand  for  decorative  leather  of  every  sort  is  steadily 
increasing.  The  "illuminated  leather,"  made  by  one  firm 
in  New  York,  is  considered  by  the  best  judges  finer  than 
that  imported  from  France  or  Belgium,  as  it  does  not  crack, 
and  is  much  more  flexible.  It  is  greatly  used  for  ceiling  and 
wall  decoration.  Oxhide  is  preferred  to  any  other,  both  for 
walls  and  furniture. 

Many  of  the  fashionable  chairs  to-day  are  covered  in  what 
is  known  as  Spanish  hide;  which,  however,  unless  really 
antique,  comes  either  from  France,  Italy,  or  Belgium,  and  is 
manufactured  in  imitation  of  the  Moorish  designs  which  were 
introduced  into  Spain  in  the  nineteenth  century.  From 
Spain,  the  art  of  leather-working  travelled  to  the  Nether- 
lands during  the  occupation  of  the  country  by  the  Spaniards  ; 
and  so,  in  Flemish  specimens,  we  find  constant  trace  of  the 
Moorish  influence  in  which  they  really  originated.  These 
Flemish  designs  are  usually  florid  and  highly  colored  :  those 
which  are  more  purely  Moorish  are  geometrical,  and  lower 
toned  in  color.  The  most  expensive  of  all  leather  is  that 
imported  in  the  rough  from  Cordova :  it  is  much  used  for 
screens  and  panels,  and  Flemish  designs  wrought  upon  it 
are  especially  effective.     In  early  days  artists  whose  fame 


THE  REDEMPTION  OF  THE    TIN  CAN.  317 

was  made  did  not  disdain  to  paint  upon  this  material,  and  it 
entered  largely  into  the  decoration  of  palaces  and  large 
buildings  at  the  time  of  the  earlier  renaissance.  Although 
it  has  played  the  part  of  all  fashions,  and  been  from  time 
to  time  almost  lost  sight  of  by  the  general  public,  it  is  safe  to 
affirm  that  there  never  has  been  a  time  when  the  lovers  of 
the  beautiful  have  not  sought  to  express  ideas  in  this  mate- 
rial. It  is  extremely  durable,  and  has  more  to  recommend  it 
for  the  purchaser  than  for  the  man  whose  bread  and  butter 
depends  upon  selling  it,  for  the  reason  that  a  house  once 
fitted  up  with  it  may  be  considered  as  needing  little  resto- 
ration. The  same  is  true,  of  course,  of  chairs ;  and  the 
durability  of  leather-covered  furniture  is  one  of  its  greatest 
recommendations.  Trimmings  for  leather  chairs — whether 
the  material  is  plain,  embossed,  or  painted  —  vary  according  to 
taste  and  the  dictates  of  fashion.  Just  now,  oak,  mahogany, 
and  ebonized  cherry  are  most  in  demand.  Workmen  for 
embossing  leather  must  necessarily  be  skilled  artisans.  As 
a  rule,  they  are  found  among  English  or  Americans,  although 
some  Germans  are  employed  in  the  business.  The  latter 
are  good  at  imitation,  but  slow  to  originate ;  and,  while  they 
follow  directions  with  great  accuracy,  they  seldom  aspire  to 
any  thing  like  originality.  American  girls  have  attempted 
this  work  only  in  one  or  two  instances.  But  the  same  talent 
that  makes  a  skilful  designer  comes  into  play  here ;  and  it 
is  not  only  a  beautiful  and  satisfactory,  but  very  profitable, 
industry,  by  means  of  which  a  handsome  living  is  insured. 


3l8  fVAX  FLOWERS. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

WAX   FLOWERS. 

These,  too,  have  fallen  under  the  ban  of  the  many  who 
prefer  a  sunflower  in  crewel  to  the  most  perfect  imitation  of 
nature.  But  a  rosebud  exquisitely  modelled,  or  a  spray  of  jas- 
mine looking  as  if  that  moment  picked,  and  put  in  the  little 
vase  before  you,  can  never  be  any  thing  but  really  and  truly 
beautiful,  no  matter  what  the  critics  say.  It  must  be  a  per- 
fect copy,  however ;  and  wax  flowers  have  a  use  far  beyond 
any  ornamental  one,  in  that  whoever  does  good  work  in 
them  must  be  intimate  with  every  position  of  the  plant  on 
which  it  grows,  and  learn  the  characteristics  of  each  petal 
and  stamen.  The  outfit  required  for  wax  flowers  is  a  rather 
expensive  one,  but  the  tools  last  a  lifetime  if  properly  taken 
care  of. 

The  imported  wax  known  as  Madame  Scheiffles  is  the 
best,  as  it  crumbles  less  than  any  other  when  worked.  The 
thin  wax,  called  "  single,"  is  only  ten  cents  a  dozen  sheets : 
"extra  double,"  for  thick  leaves,  is  about  twenty  cents  a 
dozen  sheets  ;  and  the  variegated  or  "  mottled,"  the  same. 
In  addition  to  the  wax,  there  will  be  needed  powdered  colors, 
which  cost  from  fifteen  to  thirty  cents  a  bottle  (carmine, 
which  is  the  most  expensive  of  all,  being  forty  cents),  and  a 
set  of  camel's-hair  brushes.  Poonah  brushes  are  twenty 
cents  more  a  dozen  than  others,  which  run  from  twenty  cents 
to  a  dollar  a  dozen  ;  veining-brushes  being  five  cents  apiece. 
Moulding-tools  come  in  sets,  about  a  dollar  a  dozen ;  and  steel 


WAX  FLOWERS.  319 

pins  set  in  glass,  and  tweezers  and  folders,  cost  from  five  to 
fifteen  cents  each.  Very  small  sharp-pointed  scissors,  a 
good  penknife,  spatula,  and  color-saucers  or  a  palette,  wire 
of  different  sizes  by  the  spool,  frosting,  arrow-root,  sprig- 
moss,  etc.,  will  all  be  needed,  and  can  all  be  had  at  the  stores 
where  wax-flower  materials  are  sold ;  the  whole  outfit  costing 
from  ten  to  fifteen  dollars. 

The  first  process  is  to  take  the  patterns  of  the  flower  you 
intend  to  copy,  in  its  various  parts,  beginning  with  the  petals 
of  the  corolla.  Perhaps  the  white  camellia  is  as  easy  as  any 
flower  to  model,  and  more  tractable,  under  fingers  unaccus- 
tomed to  the  delicate  handling  required  by  fragile  blossoms, 
than  many  more  simple  flowers.  One  hint  may  be  given 
about  the  camellia,  the  rose,  and  other  double  flowers  with 
a  quantity  of  petals, — that  the  object  must  be  to  give  its 
effect  as  a  whole ;  and  that,  while  any  peculiarities  about  the 
flower  should  be  imitated  exactly,  any  natural  blemish,  such 
as  a  stain,  or  crumpled  or  withered  leaf,  should  be  repeated. 
Allowance  must  be  made  for  the  difference  of  material.  No 
wax  can  be  so  thin  as  the  petals  of  some  flowers  are,  and, 
moreover,  in  the  natural  flower  every  part  fits  into  its  place 
without  cement ;  while  in  the  waxen  model  a  little  piece 
must  be  allowed  for  affixing  each  petal  to  its  position.  Every 
petal  of  a  flower  composed  of  a  great  number  of  petals, 
therefore,  could  hardly  be  modelled,  and  many  are  hidden 
from  sight  by  the  outer  ones  ;  but  the  position  of  the  petals, 
whether  placed  exactly  behind  or  between  the  inner  ones, 
the  number  in  each  circle  or  row,  etc.,  must  be  carefully 
noted  and  copied.  Lay  the  petals  you  wish  to  copy  on 
paper,  and,  with  a  small  poonah  brush  slightly  dipped  in 
paint,  touch  the  edges  all  round,  so  as  to  leave  the  size 
of  the  petal  depicted  on  the  paper,  as  in  Figs.  113,  114. 
It  is  the  most  accurate  mode  of  copying  it,  giving  all  its 


320 


tVAX  FLOWERS, 


irregularities  of  form  exactly.  In  cutting  the  wax  out  from 
this  paper  pattern,  a  little  piece  must  be  allowed  at  the  point 
for  fixing  the  petal  on  the  stalk.  Care  must  be  taken  to 
have  the  lines  of  the  waxen  sheet  running  upwards,  and  not 
across  the  petal :  therefore  the  up- 
per part  of  each  paper  petal  must  be 
placed  on  the  narrow  part  of  the 
sheet,  and  the  wax  cut  round  it  with 
a  pair  of  sharp  scissors.  If  the  sheet 
is  brittle,  it  should  be  warmed  a  little 
with  the  hand  before  it  is  cut ;  and  the  scissors  may  be 
slightly  wetted,  so  that  they  may  not  drag  any  of  the  wax 
away,  and  make  an  uneven  edge.  I  give  patterns  for  one 
white  camellia,  to  give  some  idea  of  the  number  of  petals 
required,  and  their  shape ;  but  I  must  repeat,  that  there  are 
scarcely  two  flowers  to  be  found  exactly  alike,  and  that, 
when  practicable,  they  should  be  modelled  from  life. 


Fig.  lis. —  White  Camellia. 


For  making  a  white  camellia,  cut  out  five  petals  of  Fig.  9, 
five  of  Fig.  8,  twenty  of  Fig.  7,  three  each  of  Figs.  6,  5,  4, 
3,  2,  and  I,  and  three  of  Fig.  10,  the  outer  petals  (all  in  the 
medium  white  wax),  three  of  Fig.  1 1  in  lemon  wax,  and  three 
of  Fig.  12  in  light-green  wax,  for  the  calyx. 

Soften  the  wax  by  holding  it  in  the  palm  of  the  hand  for 
a  few  minutes,  and  then  rub  the  white  bloom  thoroughly  on 


IVAX  FLOWERS.  32I 

both  sides  of  the  petals,  leaving  only  the  point  untouched 
where  it  is  to  be  affixed  to  the  stalk  (the  bloom  destroys  its 
adhesiveness).  The  first  six  sets  of  three  petals  are  to  be 
slightly  tinged  with  the  palest  yellow  powder  about  a  third 
of  their  height  from  the  points.  This  may  be  either  rubbed 
on  over  the  bloom  with  the  finger,  or  put  on  with  a  sable 
brush,  dry.  It  must  be  shaded  off  at  the  upper  part ;  the 
deepest  color  being  laid  on  at  the  lowest  part  of  the  petal, 
in  the  centre,  and  graduated  so  as  to  fade  into  the  white 
part.  This  is  to  be  the  rule  in  coloring  most  flower-petals,  — 
to  shade  the  deepest  color  gradually  into  paler  tints  towards 
the  edges  ;  because  in  the  real  flower  this  effect  is  given  by 
the  shade  cast  by  each  petal  on  the  one  lying  outside  it. 
The  three  outer  petals  (Fig.  10)  will  require  a  dash  of  green 
powder  up  the  centre  of  the  petal,  and  a  tinge  of  pink  on 
the  upper  edges ;  and  the  petals  of  the  calyx  will  need  a 
little  brown  marking  to  give  the  discoloration  generally  to 
be  found  on  them. 

Mould  the  twelve  smallest  petals  with  the  smallest  curl- 
ing-pin, first  passing  the  knob  round  the  edges  of  the  petal, 
so  as  to  fine  them  off,  and  then  rolling  it  round  the 
centre,  in  the  palm  of  the  hand,  to  hollow  it  into 
the  shape  of  a  spoon.  Lay  the  pin  all  along  the 
centre  of  the  petal  so  as  to  crease  it.  This  should 
be  its  shape  when  moulded.  Figs.  5  and  6  are  not  ^'^  "^ 
to  be  quite 'so  much  curvecl ;  and  7,  8,  and  9  are  to  be  turned 
back,  with  only  a  slight  depression  in  the  centre,  which  may 
be  given  by  the  pressure  of  the  thumb.  All  are  to  have 
a  crease  in  the  centre.  The  three  outer  petals  and  the 
calyx-sepals  are  to  be  hollowed  a  little,  in  the  same  way  as 
the  smaller  petals  of  the  flower. 

Cut  a  piece  of   the   thickest  wire   for   the   stalk   of   the 
camellia.     Cover  it  with  a  strip  of  white  wax  for  about  three- 


322  PP'AX  FLOWER^. 

fourths  of  an  inch,  and  bend  it  back.  Then  roll  more  wax 
round  this  doubled  wire,  softening  it,  by  holding  it  at  a  little 
distance  from  the  fire,  till  a  solid  bud  like  a  rosebud  is 
formed.  This  is  to  be  covered  by  the  first  three  petals,  and 
the  other  small  ones  are  to  stand  up  round  them  ;  each  petal 
being  placed  behind  and  between  the  two  inner  ones.  A 
little  pressure  will  cause  the  points  of  the  petals  to  adhere 
to  the  foundation-bud  and  to  each  other ;  but,  to  secure  them 
more  firmly,  narrow  strips  of  wax  must  be  laid  on  round 
each  row  of  petals,  about  a  fourth  of  an  inch  wide,  and 
moulded  into  them  with  one  of  the  wooden  moulding-tools. 
The  rows  of  five  petals  are  to  be  affixed  in  the  same  manner, 
taking  care  that  one  is  always  placed  behind  and  between 
the  two  inner  ones,  and  also  that  it  is  placed  sufficiently 
high  to  be  visible  a  little  above  them,  so  that  the  flower  may 
increase  in  width  regularly.  The  three  outer  petals  will 
not,  of  course,  be  visible  in  front  of  the  flower ;  but  it  must 
be  nicely  finished  at  the  back  with  these  and  the  sepals  of 
the  calyx,  put  on  in  the  same  manner  with  strips  of  green 
wax.  The  wire  stalk  must  be  covered  also  with  strips  of 
pale-green  wax,  cut  so  as  just  to  enclose  the  wire,  and  cov- 
ered with  other  strips,  moulded  smoothly  with  the  moulding- 
tool.  The  stalk  should  be  slightly  bent,  so  as  to  place  the 
blossom  in  a  natural  position,  and  two  leaves  bound  on,  at 
proper  distances  from  it,  on  opposite  sides  of  the  stalk. 

There  are  two  or  three  methods  of  making  leaves  ;  but  for 
the  generality  of  flowers  the  following  is  the  best :  take 
two  sheets  of  green  wax  (to  match  the  upper  and  under  sides 
of  the  leaf  in  color) ;  place  a  stalk  of  middle-sized  or  fine 
wire,  covered  with  the  narrowest  strip  possible  of  wax,  be- 
tween them,  long  enough  to  be  firmly  attached  to  the  flower- 
stalk.  The  camellia,  being  a  thick-leaved  flower,  will  require 
middle-sized  wire  ;  and,  if  the  wax  be  very  thin,  a  third  sheet 


PFAX  FLOWEkS,  3^^ 

« 

of  wax  may  be  laid  underneath  the  others.  The  real  leaf 
which  is  to  be  copied  must  be  laid  upon  these ;  and  the  wax 
must  be  cut  out  exactly  of  the  right  size,  with  the  wire,  of 
course,  in  the  centre  of  the  leaf.  Press  the  wax  leaf  against 
the  real  one  firmly,  and  hold  them  at  a  little  distance  from 
the  fire,  so  as  to  soften  the  wax  sufficiently  to  receive  the 
perfect  impression  of  the  real  leaf  laid  upon  it,  on  its  upper 
side.  When  this  is  obtained  exactly,  and  the  wax  leaf  is 
embedded  in  the  other,  they  should  be  dipped  into  cold 
water,  and  the  real  leaf  may  then  be  easily  removed  from 
the  wax  impression,  the  edges  of  which  are  to  be  cut  into 
the  right  notches,  and  rolled  into  fineness  with  the  knob 
of  the  smallest  curling-pin.  The  wire  leaf-stalk  must  now 
be  covered  with  a  narrow  strip  of  wax,  and  fastened  to  the 
flower-stalk  in  its  proper  position  ;  the  front  or  upper  part  of 
the  leaf  being  always  placed  against  the  side  of  this,  and 
bent  into  the  right  shape  afterwards.  The  leaves  may 
require  a  little  more  binding  to  secure  them  to  the  stalk, 
and  this  may  need  other  strips  of  wax  to  make  it  thick 
enough.  Then  it  must  be  brushed  over  with  a  little  liquid 
brown  paint,  made  by  rubbing  down  a  little  of  the  brown 
powder,  and  mixing  it  with  very  thin  gum-water,  with  the 
palette-knife,  to  represent  the  brown  wood  of  the  stalk,  and 
the  flower  is  completed,  unless  a  bud  is  needed ;  in  which 
case,  three  or  six  of  the  smaller  petals  must  be  cut  out  in 
lemon  or  pale-green  wax,  according  to  the  size  and  color  of 
the  bud  desired  to  be  copied,  bloomed  and  tinted  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  flower-petals,  moulded,  and  affixed  to  a 
small  bud  made  on  a  stalk  of  middle-sized  wire,  like  the 
foundation  of  the  flower,  and  pressed  closely  round  it,  so  as 
to  form  a  solid  bud.  This  must  be  fastened  to  the  flower- 
stalk  in  the  same  manner  as  the  leaves,  and  will  probably 
have  to  be  put  on  first,  as  the  buds  are  generally  close  to  the 
blossoms  of  the  camellia. 


$24  fi^AX  FLOWERS. 

Variegated  and  red  camellias  are  done  in  the  same  way ; 
the  former  having  stripes  of  pink  powder  and  carmine  upon 
the  white  petals,  rubbed  on  (or,  if  slight,  laid  on  with  a  small 
sable  brush),  and  the  latter  colored  throughout  with  madder, 
pink,  and  carmine,  and  shaded  according  to  the  colors  of 
each  petal.     Bloom  will  not  be  required  for  this  camellia. 

The  white  jasmine  is  very  easy  of  execution  ;  but  its  blos- 
soms are  so  small,  that  they  require  very  delicate  handling. 
The  five  petals  may  be  bloomed  and  tinted  at  once  on  both 
sides  by  mixing  a  very  slight  portion  of  the  lightest  yellow 
powder  with  the  bloom  with  the  palette-knife.  Then  they 
must  be  moulded  with  the  curling-pin, 
and  placed  round  the  pistil.  The  sta- 
mens are  not  visible.  The  back  of  the 
flower  must  be  finished  nicely,  and  a 
strip  of  white  wax  rolled  round  the 
upper  part  to  make  a  smooth  tube. 
Fig.  117. -White  Jasmine,  which  is  to  be  painted  pink  with  a 
liquid  paint  and  a  poonah  brush.  The 
calyx  is  cut  out  in  one  piece  (Fig.  2),  and  tinted  at  the  top 
of  the  sepals  with  brown  paint. 

The  leaves  are  in  threes  and  fives  on  a  stalk.  They  must 
be  modelled  from  the  real  leaves,  in  the  manner  described 
for  the  camellia-leaves,  putting  the  finest  wire  between  the 
sheets  of  wax  for  the  stalk,  and,  of  course,  putting  the  leaves 
composing  one  sprig  together,  before  the  stalk  is  attached 
to  the  flower-stalk.  The  edges  of  the  leaves  and  the  stalk 
should  be  tinged  with  brown  paint,  put  on  with  the  poonah 
brush ;  or  a  slight  tinge  of  carmine  over  the  green  will  give 
the  same  effect. 

WHITE    PINK. 

The  white  pink  is  very  easily  and  accurately  modelled  in 
wax.     The  petals  are  bloomed  on  both  sides,  and  slightly 


WHITE  PINK. 


325 


tinged  with  green  in  the  centre  of  each  petal.  There  are 
five  of  each  (Figs,  i,  2,  3,  4,  5),  which  are  put  round  a  stalk, 
from  the  top  of  which  spring  two  long  white  stamens,  curling 
back,  as  in  this  figure. 


Fig.  118.— White  Pink. 


The  petals  lie  exactly  behind  each  other  (five  in  each 
row),  and  must  be  securely  bound  to  the  stalk  with  strips 
of  wax ;  some  being  bent,  and  twisted  forward,  and  some 
curling  back.  They  are  often  irregularly  shaped ;  and  these 
irregularities  are  best  copied  from  the  original  flower,  as 
they  add  much  to  the  natural  appearance  of  the  wax  model. 
A  little  frost  may  be  dusted  over  the  flower  when  finished. 

The  calyx,  of  green  wax,  is  lined  with  white,  or  with  a  very 
light  shade  of  green,  and  the  lining  allowed  to  appear  just 
above  the  points.  Four  small  scales  are  put  on 
in  pairs,  at  the  bottom  of  the  calyx ;  and  the 
whole  is  spotted  with  brown  paint.  Buds  are 
formed  by  closing  the  calyix  over  a  foundation-bud 
of  solid  wax ;  and  the  leaves  (if  any  are  required) 
are  cut  out  of  a  long  strip  of  blue-green  wax 
doubled  and  creased.  They  need  no  wire,  but  should  be 
rubbed  with  bloom  ;  and  a  little  frost  should  be  sprinkled  on 
them  to  give  the  powdery  appearance  of  the  real  leaves. 

The  picotees,  and  several  of  the  carnations,  can  be  mod- 
elled well  in  wax.     The  former  must  be  sprinkled  with  white 


Fig.  119. 


326 


IVAX  FLOWERS, 


powder,  instead  of  bloom,  and  painted  with  liquid  paint,  after 
nature.  And  the  striped  carnations  should  be  made  in  the 
same  way,  in  white,  or  yellow,  or  orange-colored  wax,  accord- 
ing to  the  ground  color  of  the  petals.  The  clove-carnation 
cannot,  I  think,  be  copied  effectively  ;  but,  if  the  attempt  is 
made,  the  petals  must  be  brushed  over  with  crimson  powder, 
painted  with  a  mixture  of  carmine  and  ultra-marine,  and 
with  a  little  sheer  carmine  afterwards.  But  they  will  always 
lack  the  bloom  of  the  real  flower,  and  look  dead  when  placed 
by  its  side. 

All  mixed  powders,  it  may  be  as  well  to  say  here,  must  be 
well  rubbed  together  with  the  palette-knife,  so  that  they  may 
be  thoroughly  incorporated  before  they  are  put  on  the  petals. 

THE    COMMON    PINK    CHINA    OR    MONTHLY    ROSE. 

The  common  pink  china  rose  is  one  of  the  easiest  roses 
to  model.  Five  petals  of  Nos.  i,  2,  3,  4,  and  three  of  No.  5, 
will  be   required.     They  are  to  be  cut  out  of  the  medium 


Pig.  120.— The  Common  Pink  China  or  Monthly  Rose. 


white  wax,  and  bloomed  on  both  sides,  leaving,  of  course, 
the  points  untouched.  They  are  then  to  be  colored  by 
rubbing  rose-madder  into  them  ;  beginning  in  the  centre,  and 
shading  the  color  gradually  to  the  edges,  so  that  the  deepest 
color  is  to  be  in  the  middle  of  the  petals.     In  most  roses, 


THE  COMMON  PINK  CHINA    OR  MONTHLY  ROSE.      327 

the  inner  petals  are  altogether  deeper  in  color  than  the  outer 
ones  ;  but  this  rose  is  an  exception,  and  the  outer  petals  have 
more  color  than  the  others.  They  may,  perhaps,  require  a 
touch  of  rose-lake  or  crimson  over  the  first  color ;  and  the 
three  outer  petals  will  need  various  dashes  of  a  deeper  tint 
on  the  upper  edges,  and  across  them  on  the  outer  side,  espe- 
cially if  the  rose  is  beginning  to  wane. 

Roses  require  extreme  attention  in  moulding.  Almost  all 
rose-petals  are  more  or  less  crumpled ;  and  this  crumpling 
must  be  imitated,  in  order  to  give  an  accurate  model  of  the 
flower.  Fine  the  edges  well  with  the  smallest  curling-pin 
first,  and  then  roll  a  larger  one  round  and  round  in  the  cen- 
tre of  the  petal,  so  as  to  hollow  it  completely ;  and  put  a 
little  plait  at  the  bottom  of  the  petal,  so  as  to  pucker  it  in 
a  little.  This  is  easily  done  with  the  pin,  when  the  petal  is 
softened  by  the  warmth  of  the  hand  or  by  the  breath,  if  the 
wax  seems  brittle,  and  inclined  to  split.  Nos.  3,  4,  and  5 
will  require  to  be  turned  back  at  the  upper  edges  by  rolling 
them  over  the  curling-pin  point ;  and  the  three  outer  petals 
(No.  5)  will  often  need  a  good  deal  of  crumpling  between 
the  fingers,  and  perhaps  a  fold  all  down  the  centre.  The 
edges,  too,  may  be  a  little  bitten  by  insects ;  and  any  defect 
of  this  kind,  copied,  adds  to  the  perfection  of  the  imitation 
of  the  blossom.  The  rose  must  be  mounted  on  a  thick  wire 
stalk,  prepared  with  a  foundation-bud  like  that  of  the  camel- 
lia, but  larger.  The  first  two  smaller  petals  wrap  it  round 
entirely ;  and  the  three  remaining  ones  must  be  put  standing 
up  round  the  bud,  nearly  touching  each  other  at  the  upper 
edges.  These  are  bound  on  with  a  narrow  strip  of  white 
wax,  well  rubbed  in  by  the  moulding-tool.  Then  the  next 
row  of  petals  is  put  on  behind  the  others  (one  side  always 
lapping  over  the  other),  each  petal  between  two  front  ones, 
a  little  raised,  so  as  just  to  appear  above  these ;  and  this  is 


328  WAX  FLOWERS, 

bound  on  with  another  strip  ;  and  so  on.  Nos.  4  and  5 
should  fall  back  a  little ;  and  the  three  outer  petals  should 
be  placed  rather  below  the  last  row,  so  as  scarcely  to  be  visi- 
ble in  front  of  the  rose.  The  five  sepals  of  the  calyx  (No.  6) 
are  to  be  cut  out  in  two  shades  of  green  wax,  snipped  at  the 
edges,  and  well  moulded  in  the  hand,  and  pinched  into 
points,  and  put  on  so  that  the  points  may  come  between 
the  five  larger  petals,  over  the  three  outer  ones.  The  seed- 
pod  is  made  by  rolling  a  doubled  strip  of  green  wax  round 
and  round  the  wire  stalk,  and  moulding  it  with  a  moulding- 
tool  exactly  into  the  shape  of  the  seed-pod,  and,  when  it  is 
quite  smooth  and  round,  pushing  it  up  into  its  place  below 
the  sepals.  This  part  of  the  rose  must  be  very  nicely  fin- 
ished, so  as  exactly  to  imitate  the  back  of  the  real  rose. 
The  stalk  must  be  covered  with  strips  of  green  wax,  to 
make  it  of  the  required  thickness,  and  the  leaves  (and  buds 
if  there  are  to  be  any)  put  on  in  their  proper  positions.  If 
the  buds  are  green,  they  must  be  made  by  putting  the  five 
sepals  round  a  small  foundation-bud,  mounted  on  a  wire 
stalk,  and  closing  them  up  at  the  points.  If  they  are  begin- 
ning to  show  their  color,  three  of  the  rose-petals  No.  i 
must  be  put  round  the  foundation-bud  first.  If  opening  still 
more,  three  of  No.  2  will  be  wanted,  also,  before  the  sepals 
are  put  on.  A  smaller  seed-pod  is  to  be  made,  and  pushed 
up  under  these,  as  in  the  full-blown  flower,  and  it  must  be 
neatly  finished  in  the  same  manner,  observing  and  imitating 
every  peculiarity  of  the  original ;  binding  the  stalk,  if  re- 
quired, and  tinging  it  and  the  sepals  and  seed-pod  with  a 
little  liquid  carmine  paint,  or  brown,  if  they  are  colored  thus 
in  nature. 

The  leaves  are  modelled  in  the  same  way  as  directed  for 
the  camellia-leaves ;  and  great  care  must  be  taken  to  get  the 
exact  impression  of  every  vein  in  the  real  rose-leaves,  to  mould 


THE    YELLOW  TEA-SCENTED  ROSE.  329 

and  curl  the  edges,  and  to  mount  each  spray  accurately. 
Small  bracts,  or  stipules,  are  sometimes  needed  where  it  is 
attached  to  the  flower-stalk ;  and  these  and  the  edges  of  the 
leaves  may  require  a  little  coloring,  as  well  as  the  stalks. 

THE  YELLOW  TEA-SCENTED  ROSE. 

All  the  yellow  roses  may  be  copied  to  perfection,  if  care 
be  taken  to  color  them  exactly,  shading  the  petals  so  as  to 
give  the  deeper  yellow  centre,  fading  into  primrose-color  oi 
white  at  the  edges  of  the  petals,  and   to  crumple  them  suffi 
ciently.     For  the  yellow  tea-rose,  three  (or  five)  of  Nos.  i,  2, 
3,  4,  5,  and  three  of  No.  6,  will  be  required.     They  must  bf 


Fig.  121.  — The  Yellow  Tba-scented  Rose. 

bloomed  and  colored  on  both  sides.  The  three  outer  petals 
will  generally  require  dashes  of  red  or  pink  powder  to  give 
the  discoloration  which  is  usually  to  be  seen  in  these.  All 
must  be  well  moulded,  and  hollowed  in  the  hand  with  thft 
largest  curling-pin,  or  a  ball-tool  such  as  is  used  for  paper 
flower  making.  It  is  necessary  to  use  tolerably  thick  whit^ 
wax  for  these  roses,  in  order  to  roll  them  out,  so  to  speak, 
sufficiently.  Some  of  the  yellow  roses,  like  the  pattern,  are 
cone-shaped,  and  require  to  be  mounted  in  threes  on  a  very 
long  foundation-bud  :  others  are  flatter,  and  have  five  petals 
in  a  row ;  and  some  roses  require  to  be  made  on  a  ball  • 


330  WAX  FLOWERS. 

shaped  bud,  and  the  petals  must  be  very  much  hollowed,  or 
cupped.  This  is  especially  the  case  with  a  very  delicate 
pink  rose,  the  Coupe  d'Hebe.  A  fine  large  blush-rose,  the 
Souvenir  de  Malmaison,  has  a  triangular  kind  of  centre,  to 
imitate  which  a  number  of  small  petals  should  be  placed 
within  a  large  petal,  which  should  be  folded  round  them  ; 
and  three  of  these  bunches  of  petals,  mounted  on  a  small 
foundation-bud,  will  begin  the  rose ;  and  the  larger  petals 
must  be  placed  round  them  in  rows  of  fives,  as  before  di- 
rected, ending  always  with  three  outer  petals  placed  below 
the  largest  row.  This  rose  must  be  delicately  colored  with 
pink,  and  a  little  pale-yellow  must  be  added  where  this  color- 
ing is  seen  on  the  petals.  The  inner  petals  are  deeper  in 
color  than  the  outer  ones.  The  white  Lamarque  Noisette 
is  tinged  with  a  sulphur-color  in  the  centre.  This  rose  is 
extremely  pretty,  surrounded  with  buds  of  various  sizes. 
The  Solfaterre  models  very  well,  requiring  a  coloring  of  yel- 
low and  pink.  The  Ophrie  is  still  deeper  in  color,  and  can 
be  copied  exactly  by  tinting  the  petals  with  various  grada- 
tions of  salmon,  yellow,  and  rose-colors.  All  these  roses 
are  best  modelled  in  white  wax.  The  Austrian  and  yellow 
Scotch  roses  should  be  done  in  yellow  wax.  The  Cloth-of- 
Gold  requires  white  wax  to  give  the  gradations  of  coloring. 
Some  of  the  deep  pink  roses  are  best  colored  without  bloom- 
ing, by  rubbing  Barnard's  rose-lake  over  the  petals.  For 
crimson  roses,  these  should  be  rubbed  on  one  side  with  rose- 
lake,  and  with  carmine  on  the  inner  side.  For  red  roses 
with  a  more  scarlet  hue,  such  as  Geant  de  Batailles,  it  is 
necessary  to  paint  the  petals,  after  rubbing  them  on  the 
inner  side,  with  liquid  carmine  paint  mixed  with  weak  gum- 
water,  and  put  on  as  dry  as  possible  with  a  poonah  brush. 
An  occasional  dash  of  burnt  carmine  or  violet  paint  will  add 
to  the  natural  appearance  of  the  rose ;  and  the  outer  petals 


THE    YELLOW  TEA-SCENTED  ROSE,  33 1 

will  require  this  darkening,  especially  at  the  edges,  where 
they  become  soiled  by  rain,  etc. 

The  sepals  of  each  rose  must  be  carefully  copied.  They 
vary  much  in  character  and  color.  Some  turn  back  from 
the  flower  over  the  seed-pod,  and  are  almost  flat :  others  are 
much  cupped,  and  adhere  closely  to  it.  Some  are  fringed, 
others  smooth.  The  moss-roses  must  have  tiny  branches  of 
fine  feather-moss  gummed  upon  them.  The  thorns  on  the 
stalks  may  be  imitated  by  modelling  little  pieces  of  wax  to 
the  right  shape,  and  sticking  them  on,  and  painting  them 
brown  or  red  ;  and  the  hairy  appearance  of  some  of  the 
stalks  may  be  given  by  gumming  down  on  them. 

The  single  roses,  and  many  of  the  semi-double  ones,  must 
have  a  number  of  stamens  in  the  centre,  instead  of  the  foun- 
dation-bud. These  are  made  in  the  same  manner  as  de- 
scribed for  the  nemophila  stamens  ;  but  they  must  be  cut 
out  of  long  strips  of  white  or  pale-lemon  wax,  with  a  narrow 
strip  of  yellow  wax  folded  over  one  side  for  the  anthers,  and 
rolled  round  a  green  style,  formed  by  enclosing  the  top  of 
the  wire  stalk  in  green  wax,  and  indenting  it  with  the  curl- 
ing-pin ;  and  the  anthers  must  be  brushed  over  with  a  little 
gum,  and  powdered  with  orange  or  brown  powder,  to  repre- 
sent the  pollen  fresh  or  discolored.  The  stamens  must  be 
cut  as  thin  as  possible,  and  of  the  right  length.  Care  must 
be  taken  to  bind  them  on  regularly  and  firmly,  so  that  the 
centre  of  the  flower  may  not  slip  off  the  wire  stalk. 

The  lily-of-the-valley  may  be  modelled,  either  by  cutting 
out  a  straight  piece  of  white  wax, 
for  the  corolla,  like  Fig.  i,  moulding 
and  joining  it,  and  curling  back  the 
six  notches  with  the  curling-pin ;  or 

,         ,.        .  ,,  ,      ,  .         e  Fig.  122.  —  I.ilyof-the-Vallby. 

by  dippmg  the  rounded  ends  of  pen- 
cils or  pen-sticks,  etc.,  of  various  sizes,  in  melted  white  wax, 


332  IVAX  FLOWERS. 

after  dipping  them  in  cold  water.  The  little  bells  of  wax 
congeal  round  the  cold  wet  pencil,  and  are  easily  removed 
when  quite  cold,  and  notched  and  curled  into  shape.  In 
either  case,  the  bells  must  be  of  graduated  sizes ;  and  little 
stalks  must  be  passed  through  each,  headed  by  the  pistil  and 
six  little  stamens.  Very  small  flowers  or  buds  must  be  put 
at  the  top  of  the  flower-stalk,  and  the  larger  bells  follow,  at 
intervals,  on  each  side  of  the  stalk  alternately,  with  little 
green  leaflets  at  the  base  of  each  bell-stalk.  From  nine  to 
thirteen  flowers  are  generally  on  one  stem,  which  should  be 
mounted  between  a  pair  of  long  leaves  deeply  lined  from 
the  stalk  to  the  point  with  parallel  lines. 

Some  of  the  small  heath  blossoms  and  bells  may  be  mould- 
ed in  the  same  way  as  the  lily-bells  ;  and  wooden  moulds  are 
sold  for  the  purpose  of  forming  the  flowers  by  dipping  them 
into  the  melted  wax.  Those  with  larger  tubes  would  be 
better  done  by  cutting  them  separately,  and  joining  them. 


!ST£PHANOr/S  CABNOSA  BEttJk 

Fig.  123.  — The  Stbphanotis  and  Hoya. 


THE   STEPHANOTIS   AND    HOYA. 

Another  flower  with  a  tube,  the  stephanotis,  which  is  ex- 
ccedingly  well  imitated  in  wax,  is  made  in  two  parts, —a 
star  and  a  tube,  —  each  cut  out  of  four  thicknesses  of  wax. 
The  star  is  curled  back,  and  the  points  are  pinched  down- 
wards.    The  tube  is  joined;  and  the  star  being  laid  upon  it, 


THE  STEPHANOTIS  AND  HOY  A. 


333 


with  its  centre  exactly  over  the  hollow  tube,  the  moulding- 
tool  is  pushed  through  it,  and  the  wax  pushed  against  the 


/vvvA 


Fig   124. 
a,  a    Primrose,     b,  b    Violet,     c,  c.  Snowdrop,     d,  d    Honeysuckle,     e.  e.  Convolvulus. 
/  Small  Bindweed,    g.  Hawthorn,     h   Forget-me-not.    k.  Laburnum.    1,1.  Daisy,     m.  Hya- 
cinth,   n,  n,  n,  n,  n.  Passion-flower,    o,  0.  Azalea. 

sides  of  the  tube,  and  worked  round  within  it,  till  the  star  is 
firmly  attached  to  it.     Then  a  stalk,  covered  with  a  little 


334  ^^^  FLOWERS. 

knob  of  wax,  is  pushed  into  the  other  end  of  the  tube,  and 
the  wax  closed  round  it,  and  a  calyx  of  green  wax,  cut  out 
also  like  a  star,  pushed  up  to  the  base  of  the  white  tube.  A 
little  gum  is  dropped  into  the  tube ;  and  some  white  down 
put  into  it  completes  the  flower.  The  diagrams  given  here 
explain  themselves,  and  are  easily  copied.  Wax  fruit  is  the 
least  desirable  form  of  wax  modelling,  save  as  it  becomes 
a  means  of  copying  beautiful  natural  specimens,  as  in  the 
Agricultural  Bureau  in  Washington. 


SHELLS,  MOSSES,  PiNE-CONEs,  ETC,  335 


CHAPTER   IX. 

SHELLS,   MOSSES,   PINE-CONES,   ETC. 

In  the  beginning  let  it  be  remembered,  that,  with  shell- 
work  at  least,  it  is  not  an  ornament  for  the  parlor,  even  the 
most  beautiful  shell-flowers  having  a  half-barbaric  look. 
The  chief  use  of  shell,  pine-cone,  or  seed  work,  is  in  interest- 
ing and  amusing  children,  and  teaching  the  neat  and  skilful 
handling  which  later  will  tell  in  better  work.  But  many- 
pretty  articles  can  be  made,  either  from  shells  gathered  at 
the  seashore,  or  from  foreign  ones,  which  can  be  bought  of 
all  sizes,  the  smaller  ones  by  the  ounce.  For  all  who  would 
learn  the  intricacies  of  the  work,  there  is  a  manual,  the  title 
of  which  is  given  on  p.  411. 

Where  a  shell  bracket,  a  handkerchief-box,  or  a  basket  is 
to  be  covered  with  shells,  a  cement  is  made  on  purpose, 
which  can  be  bought  at  shell-stores,  or  made  at  home  by 
mixing  equal  parts  of  gelatine,  white  lead,  and  plaster-of- 
Paris  with  just  enough  water  to  make  the  whole  like  putty. 
It  becomes  as  hard  as  earthenware  when  dry.  In  using  it, 
put  a  smooth,  even  layer  on  the  article  to  be  decorated,  and 
stick  the  shells  into  it  in  any  pattern  you  like.  Any  dry 
color  may  be  added  to  tint  it  red,  blue,  or  yellow,  as  desired. 
A  bracket  can  be  cut  from  heavy  pasteboard,  sewed  together, 
and  then  covered  with  shells ;  and  a  watch  or  wall  pocket, 
and  other  articles  also  can  be  thus  made.  Fill  in  all  vacant 
spaces  with  the  smallest  shells.  If  they  are  not  perfectly 
clean,  boil  them  well,  and  brush  with  a  little  brush.     The 


33^  SHELLS,   MOSSES,   PINE-CONES,   ETC. 

Strong  smell  about  them  can  be  taken  away  by  washing  them 
in  a  solution  of  chloride  of  lime,  one  tablespoonful  to  a  quart 
of  water. 

Periwinkle,  or  large  mussel-shells,  make  pretty  pincush- 
ions. Stuff  a  bag,  cut  just  the  right  shape,  with  either  bran 
or  emery ;  cover  it  with  silk ;  glue  the  inside  of  each  shell, 
and  press  against  it  till  dry.  Clam-shells  may  have  little 
landscapes  painted  on  them  ;  and  the  dark  blue  spot  in  the 
inside  of  an  oyster-shell  can  serve  as  the  bearskin  cap  for  a 
soldier  painted  below. 

Mosses  for  wall  decoration  should  be  carefully  dried.  A 
small  basket  of  graceful  shape  may  be  cut  in  two,  tacked  or 
gummed  to  a  sheet  of  cardboard,  and  then  filled  with  bril- 
liant lichens,  trumpet  moss,  and  the  lovely  coral  moss  to  be 
found  on  old  fence-rails,  or  often  on  rocks  covered  with  the 
white  mountain  moss.  Best  of  all  is  a  large  plate  —  a  soup- 
plate  perhaps  —  filled  with  the  bright  green  moss  growing 
in  shaded  places  in  the  woods.  Cover  it  with  a  bell-glass, 
and  water  very  seldom,  as  the  glass  keeps  in  moisture.  As 
spring  approaches,  you  will  be  surprised  to  see  what  devel- 
opments take  place,  for  seeds  have  been  biding  their  time, 
and  you  may  get  almost  any  thing  from  partridge-berry  to 
liverwort. 

Pine-cones,  both  large  and  small,  may  be  used  in  many 
ways.  The  smaller  cones,  mixed  with  acorns,  seed-vessels, 
lichens,  and  bits  of  bark,  will  cover  a  rustic  basket  for  plants, 
which  may  hang  in  the  window,  or  be  mounted  on  a  stand. 
A  round  wooden  bowl  is  best  for  this  purpose,  and  the  rus- 
tic-work should  be  glued  on  securely,  and  varnished  when 
dry.  Picture-frames  are  made  in  the  same  way ;  and  work- 
baskets  may  be  cut  from  stiff  pasteboard  sewed  together, 
and  then,  when  covered  with  rustic-work,  lined  with  silk, 
and  furnished  according  to  taste.     Wall  and  watch  pockets, 


SHELLS,   MOSSES,   PINE-CONES,   ETC. 


337 


mm 


Fig.  125.  —  Lawn  Flower-Box. 


brackets,  and  many  other  articles,  can  be  made,  and  are  of 
much  more  real  worth  and  beauty  than  any  thing  in  shell- 
work.     For  a  lawn  flower-box,  saw  half  a  butter  firkin  in 
two,  and  either  cover  entirely 
with  cones  and  bark  in  any  de- 
sign you  like,  or  drill  holes  in 
the  top  of  the  cones,  and  pass 
a  zinc  wire  through  each  one ; 
then  festoon  a  rope  around  the 
tub,  and  hang  the  cones  upon 
it,  filling  in  all  the  spaces  with 
bark  or  lichens,  and  varnishing 
rope  and  cones.     Often  a  coat 
of  pitch  is  given  to  the  whole, 
inside  as  well  as  out. 

Beautiful    brackets    can    be 
made    from    the     large    fungi 

growing  on  trees  in  damp  woods,  which  can  be  screwed 
firmly  to  an  oak  or  walnut  back,  and  need  no  varnishing. 

Straw  and  splints  for  weaving  wall-pockets,  or  for  basket- 
making,  or  straw  mosaic-work,  can  be  bought  at  any  fancy- 
store;  but  while  the  "  castles-in-the-air  "  hung  from  chande- 
liers are  a  good  occupation  for  a  child,  they  have  not  suffi- 
cient beauty  to  recommend  them  to  older  people.  In 
making  straw  baskets,  cardboard  foundations  are  used ;  little 
holes  being  punched  in  the  oval  or  circle,  about  a  quarter  of 
an  inch  apart,  the  straws  being  just  touched  to  thick  muci- 
lage before  they  are  set  in  place.  Ribbon  must  then  be 
woven  in  and  out  till  the  right  height  is  reached ;  and,  as  an 
edge,  either  a  piece  of  ornamental  straw  braid,  or  of  che- 
nille matching  the  ribbon,  may  be  sewed  on.  Match-boxes, 
etc.,  are  made  by  gumming  the  straws  to  a  cardboard  shape. 

It  is  impossible  to  more  than  suggest  what  may  be  done  in 


338  SHELLS,  MOSSES,  PINE-CONES,  ETC. 

the  direction  of  fancy-work ;  and  the  whole  field  of  ornamen- 
tal needle-work,  of  knitting,  crochet,  tatting,  china-painting, 
illuminations,  and  the  countless  other  forms  of  occupation, 
can  only  be  referred  to.  But  titles  of  the  best  and  most 
carefully  prepared  manuals  on  all  these  subjects  are  given 
on  pp.  411-414;  while  every  neighborhood,  no  matter  how 
remote,  has  at  least  one  devoted  worker  in  these  directions, 
who  is  always  willing  to  share  patterns,  and  give  nercessay 
hints. 


WOOD-CARVING  AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING.      339 


CHAPTER   X. 

WOOD-CARVING  AND   LIGHT  CARPENTERING. 

The  jig-saw  has  done  much  to  convince  people  that  girls 
can  handle  tools,  but  there  is  still  room  for  a  great  advance 
in  this  direction.  There  is  no  reason  in  the  nature  of  things 
why  a  girl  should  wait  a  week  or  a  month  to  have  a  shelf  put 
up,  when  very  slight  knowledge  would  enable  her  to  do  it 
precisely  as  well  as  the  village  carpenter.  In  every  house 
there  are  small  repairs  that  wait  the  leisure  of  some  one  who 
is  "  handy  about  house,"  and  which,  in  waiting,  often  become 
irreparable.  Every  girl  can  learn  how  to  drive  a  nail  prop- 
erly, how  to  plane  and  joint,  and  all  the  more  delicate  opera- 
tions in  carpentery.  And  any  girl  who  is  willing  to  carry  a 
book-agent's  bag  would  find  herself  welcomed  in  almost  every 
house,  if  she  bore,  instead,  a  set  of  light  tools,  and  could  do 
the  countless  little  jobs  that  wait.  Certain  portions  of  such 
work  are  now  taught  in  one  or  two  industrial  schools  ;  and 
a  manual  of  great  value,  the  full  title  of  which  is  given  on 
p.  412,  has  been  issued  in  Boston,  and  is  so  clear  and  full, 
that  the  most  ignorant  will  gain  some  knowledge  from  it. 
Some  slight  training  is  necessary,  too,  for  all  who  have  a 
bent  toward  wood-carving,  which  will  be  greatly  aided  by 
a  knowledge  of  woods,  and  how  to  handle  them. 

Wood-carving  is  as  practicable  for  all  as  drawing.  But 
whoever  undertakes  it,  or,  indeed,  any  thing  else,  must  be  will- 
ing to  go  slowly,  and  not  work  eagerly  a  few  days  or  weeks, 
and  then  pass  on  to  something  else.     To  do  a  little  of  every 


340        WOOD-CARVING  AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING. 

thing  is  a  modern  tendency ;  and  this  is  the  reason  that  we 
so  often  see  bad  work,  whether  mental  or  manual,  pass  un- 
challenged. We  do  not  mean  bad  as  compared  with  some  one's 
else  work,  but  bad  in  proportion  to  the  talent  and  power  of 
the  employed.  Ruskin  inveighs  strongly  against  this  prac- 
tice, and  speaks  very  plainly,  in  his  "  Elements  of  Drawing," 
on  the  necessity  of  doing  nothing  short  of  our  very  best  in 
whatever  work  we  take  in  hand.  It  would  be  well  if  every 
girl  were  to  read  his  book;  for  she  would  there  learn  the 
right  spirit  in  which  every  new  pursuit  —  whether  it  be 
carving,  drawing,  or  any  thing  else  —  should  be  undertaken. 
And  now  to  pass  on  from  the  theoretical  to  the  more 
practical  part  of  our  subject.  A  real  genius  for  carving  will 
show  itself  at  a  very  early  age,  by  the  child  spending  its  half- 
holidays  playing  with  carpenter's  tools,  and  by  a  general 
hankering  for  penknives,  and  inclination  to  hoard  up  scraps 
of  wood,  or  any  thing  in  the  shape  of  a  tool,  on  which  it  can 
lay  hands.  Perhaps  few  children  would  be  allowed,  however 
great  their  latent  talent  might  be,  to  endanger  their  eyes 
and  fingers  by  following  their  own  inclinations  in  these  mat- 
ters. Nor,  indeed,  would  they  gain  much,  were  they  per- 
mitted to  do  so,  as  little  good  work  could  be  expected  from 
such  young  hands.  For,  if  we  remember  rightly,  the  boxes 
of  which,  in  those  early  days,  we  were  so  proud,  would  bear 
none  but  the  gentlest  usage;  and  our  paper-knives  (by  cour- 
tesy so  called)  answered  their  purpose  but  indifferently  well. 
But  they  were  the  best  of  which  we  were  then  capable,  and 
had,  at  least,  the  merit  of  forming  the  first  step  in  a  prog- 
ress, of  which  each  success,  and,  indeed,  we  may  say  each 
failure  (if  the  failure  be  of  the  right  sort,  making  us  only  the 
more  determined  to  succeed  in  the  end),  brings  us  nearer 
to  real  facility.  Dexterity  in  handling  one's  tools  is  more 
easily  acquired  by  beginning  as  a  child  than  when  older ;  but 


WOOD-CARVING  AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING.       34 1 

in  Other  respects  it  is  as  well,  and  perhaps  better,  not  to 
attempt  much  in  the  carving  line  until  the  age  of  fourteen 
or  fifteen.  But  then  you  have  probably  little  time  which 
you  can  call  your  own ;  the  greater  part  of  the  day  being 
occupied  with  lessons  and  necessary  employments,  so  that 
half  an  hour,  or  perhaps  even  less,  is  all  the  time  you  can 
spare  for  your  carving.  This,  however,  is  ample.  Had 
you  the  whole  day  at  your  own  disposal,  an  hour  is  the  most 
you  should  allow  yourself  to  spend  in  this  manner ;  for  you 
will  find  it  hard,  tiring  work  until  you  have  become  accus- 
tomed to  it.  If  you  are  growing  rapidly,  you  must  be  par- 
ticularly careful  that  your  work-table  be  made  high  enough 
to  prevent  the  necessity  of  stooping  over  your  work  ;  and  you 
should  also  avoid  the  bad  habit  of  resting  or  pressing  the 
wood  against  your  chest,  which  is  very  hurtful,  as,  in  course 
of  time,  the  bone  is  pushed  out  of  its  place.  You  will  find 
it  an  advantage,  if  you  can  accustom  yourself,  to  use  your 
right  and  left  hand  equally  well ;  for  by  so  doing  you  will 
counteract  any  tendency  of  the  right  shoulder  to  "grow 
out,"  as  the  phrase  is,  by  giving  equal  work  to  the  muscles 
of  the  left  side  and  arm.  Besides  this  great  consideration, 
there  are  also  many  minor  ones ;  for  instance,  supposing 
you  were  at  work  on  a  large  piece  of  carving,  it  would 
progress  far  easier  and  quicker  if  you  had  two  able  hands 
instead  of  only  one,  as  you  could  then  go  from  one  part 
to  another  without  changing  the  position  of  either  yourself 
or  your  wood.  Another  benefit  of  having  both  hands  avail- 
able is,  that  in  case  you  should  cut  or  hurt  yourself,  as  be- 
ginners are  very  apt  to  do,  you  can  bind  up  the  wounded 
hand,  and  supply  its  place  with  the  other  until  it  is  able  to 
do  its  own  work  again.  Perhaps  this  may  seem  a  cool  way 
of  speaking  of  your  injuries  ;  but,  to  be  a  thorough  workman, 
you  must  make  up  your  mind  to  a  few  cuts  and  scratches, 


342        WOOD-CARVING  AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING, 

and  not  (as  do  some  young  ladies)  think  it  necessary  to  faint 
or  scream  at  the  sight  of  a  little  blood.  However,  it  is  right 
to  take  every  precaution  against  injuring  yourself;  and  one 
great  safeguard  is,  never  to  carve  without  a  vice  to  hold 
your  wood  firmly ;  for,  by  having  both  hands  at  liberty  to 
guide  the  tool,  you  can  work  with  much  greater  ease  and 
safety.  Wearing  gloves  is  also  a  protection,  as  it  saves  the 
hands  from  many  knocks  and  bruises  while  engaged  in  saw- 
ing or  any  rough  work.  The  gloves  should  be  provided  with 
stout  gauntlets  to  cover  the  wrist,  which  is  the  part  most 
liable  to  injury.  Girls,  as  a  rule,  do  not  care  greatly  about 
the  preservation  of  their  clothes ;  but,  as  their  friends  are 
probably  not  so  indifferent  on  this  subject,  it  is  advisable 
that  they  should  wear  a  thick  chamois-leather  apron  while 
working,  made  with  a  bib  to  protect  the  front  of  the  dress, 
and  a  deep  pocket  to  hold  tools,  etc.  Add  to  this  a  pair  of 
balloon-sleeves  of  the  same  material,  reaching  above  the 
elbow,  and  the  equipment  will  be  complete,  and  many 
scoldings  on  the  score  of  cut  and  dirty  dresses  avoided, 
besides  adding  much  to  the  carver's  own  comfort.  Few  of 
our  readers,  probably,  are  fortunate  enough  to  possess  a 
room  that  they  can  devote  entirely  to  their  carving-affairs. 
A  corner  of  the  playroom,  or  perhaps  part  of  an  outhouse, 
is  the  most  that  they  can  expect.  But,  however  small  the 
allotted  space  may  be,  at  least  they  can  find  room  for  their 
work-table ;  and  concerning  this  table  it  is  necessary  to  be 
very  particular.  A  common,  rickety  thing  won't  do  at  all. 
It  must  be  a  carpenter's  bench  in  miniature,  and  made  as 
heavy  and  strong  as  the  size  will  permit,  and  should  not  be 
less  than  three  feet  by  a  foot  and  a  half ;  but,  if  the  space 
will  admit  of  its  being  made  larger,  so  much  the  better. 
Any  common  carpenter  could  make  it ;  and  it  should  be 
fitted  with  a  rest  and  screw,  and  in  all  respects  similar  to 


WOOD-CARVING   AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING.       343 

the  one  he  uses  himself.  It  should  be  made  of  some  com- 
mon wood,  such  as  deal  or  elm,  which  may  be  cut  and 
hacked  without  compunction.  This,  with  the  addition  of  a 
stool,  and  a  box  in  which  to  keep  tools  and  odds  and  ends, 
or,  better  still,  a  lock-up  cupboard,  is  all  the  carving-furniture 
required.  We  take  it  for  granted  that  many  of  our  readers 
are  accustomed  to  get  their  mother  or  some  older  friend  to 
spend  an  occasional  half-hour  or  so  with  them  in  a  carpenter's 
shop  ;  for,  from  watching  him  at  work,  the  use  of  some  of 
the  simpler  sort  of  tools,  such  as  the  saw,  hammer,  gimlet, 
etc.  (all  of  which  knowledge  it  is  well  to  acquire  before  you 
take  to  your  carving-tools),  may  be  gained.  And,  supposing 
the  carpenter  to  be  intelligent  and  communicative,  there 
is  much,  besides  the  manual  part  of  his  business,  that  you 
may  learn  from  him  with  advantage ;  as,  for  instance,  the 
names  and  qualities  of  the  different  woods  which  he  uses  in 
the  course  of  his  work.  All  information  of  this  kind  you 
will  eventually  find  of  the  greatest  value,  in  enabling  you 
to  choose  and  prepare  your  own  carving-materials.  It  is 
wrong  for  any  one,  but  especially  for  growing  girls,  to  over- 
task their  strength  ;  and  therefore  we  would  advise  you  to 
employ  a  carpenter  to  do  any  really  laborious  work  that  you 
may  require.  But  the  lighter  sort  of  carpentering  you 
ought  to  do  for  yourself,  even  should  you  find  it  uninter- 
estmg  and  wearisome ;  for  it  is  capital  practice,  and,  the 
handier  you  are  in  doing  this  rough  work,  the  easier  you  will 
find  it  to  manage  your  carving-tools.  We  do  not  mean  to 
say,  by  this,  that  those  who  are  already  artistic  carvers 
should  waste  their  time  in  preparing  their  own  wood,  but 
simply  to  recommend  the  novice,  who  is  not  as  yet  accus- 
tomed to  the  work,  to  lose  no  opportunity  of  improvmg  her- 
self; for  it  is  precisely  while  "roughing  out,"  or  getting 
your  block  of  wood  into  shape,  that  the  firmness  of  hand,  and 


344        WOOD-CARVING  AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING. 

command  over  the  mallet  and  chisel,  are  acquired,  which 
make  all  the  difference  between  a  good  and  a  bad  worker. 

Of  carpenters'  tools  all  that  you  would  require  would  be  a 
medium-sized  saw,  a  spokeshave  (which  answers  the  purpose 
of  a  plane,  and  is  much  easier  to  use),  a  few  rasps  and  files 
of  different  sizes  (not  forgetting  a  triangular  one  for  sharpen- 
ing the  saw),  and  a  wooden  mallet,  weighing  about  two 
pounds,  though  this,  properly,  is  more  of  a  carving  than  a 
carpentering  tool.  Half  a  dozen  of  small  gouges,  a  couple 
of  larger  ones  for  rough  work,  and  one  or  two  flat  chisels, 
will  be  ample  to  begin  with.  Chisels  are  not  so  useful  as 
gouges ;  but  it  is  better  to  get  some,  as  there  are  cases  in 
which  they  are  necessary,  such,  for  instance,  as  cutting  a 
perfectly  straight  line.  For  scooping  or  cutting  away  the 
wood,  a  very  slightly  fluted  gouge,  about  one-fourth  inch 
wide,  is  the  best,  unless  you  are  using  a  mallet ;  in  which 
case  your  tool  must  be  a  size  larger.  Accustom  yourself 
to  work  as  much  as  possible  with  a  mallet ;  for,  though  at 
first  you  may  find  it  a  little  awkward,  you  will  soon  get  into 
the  way  of  using  it,  and  it  will  save  you  much  unnecessary 
labor.  The  size  of  your  gouges  should  vary  from  one-eighth 
to  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  width.  Do  not  buy  any  curved 
or  crooked  tools  (spoonbits  is  the  technical  term  for  them) ; 
for  although  they  may  appear  convenient,  and  easy  to  use, 
they  are  not  so  in  reality,  and,  moreover,  give  more  trouble 
than  they  are  worth,  on  account  of  the  difficulty  of  resetting 
them.  You  can  get  the  tools  without  handles,  if  you  prefer 
it,  and  make  them  at  home,  which  is  a  much  cheaper  plan. 
But  take  care  that  the  handles  be  small  and  smooth,  other- 
wise they  will  gall  your  hands.  Many  carvers  prefer  using 
short  tools :  but  this,  we  think,  is  a  mistake ;  for,  naturally, 
the  nearer  you  are  to  your  work,  the  greater  strength  is 
required,   on   the   lever   principle,   which    made   Harry,    in 


WOOD-CARVING  AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING. 


345 


"  Sandford  and  Merton,"  prefer  the  long  stick  to  the  shorter 
one  when  rolling  his  snowball. 

And  now,  having  provided  yourself  with  these  necessary 
tools,  the  next  thing  to  be  thought  of  is  how  to  keep  them 
sharp  and  in  good  working  order.  For  this  purpose  you  will 
require  a  small  grindstone,  about  eight  inches  in  diameter, 
fitted  with  a  handle,  and  turning  in  a  water-trough  of  either 
wood  or  iron.  In  addition  to  this,  you  will  want  a  few  slips 
or  pieces  of  common  freestone,  and  three  or  four  hones,  vary- 


FlG 

1.  Vice.    2.  Holdfast 


—  Tools. 
3    Handle.    4   Gouges.    5.  Chisels. 


ing^  in  thickness  to  suit  the  sizes  of  the  gouges,  which  are 
sha  pened  by  being  rubbed  on  the  round  edge  of  the  hone, 
whii;h  should  be  moistened  with  oil  or  water ;  but  the  free- 
stone is  more  efficacious  when  used  dry.  You  will  find  the 
task  of  grinding  and  setting  your  tools  one  of  the  most  diffi- 
cult parts,  and  certainly  the  most  tedious  part,  of  carving.  It 
is,  however,  a  difficulty  which  must  be  overcome  ;  for,  until 
you  learn  to  depend  wholly  on  yourself  in  this  matter,  you 
can  never  become  a  good  carver.     Your  tools  would  be  unfit 


346        WOOD-CARVING  AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING. 

to  use,  were  you  to  trust  them  to  a  common  cutler  to  be 
reset,  for  he  would  treat  them  as  if  they  were  carpenter's 
tools,  and  grind  them  with  a  sharp  edge  on  the  outside. 
This  would  be  quite  wrong ;  for  the  broad  rule  to  follow  in 
regard  to  carving-gouges  is  always  to  grind  the  upper  or  con- 
cave side,  leaving  the  convex  part  untouched  until  quite  the 
last,  when  it  may  be  passed  over  the  hone  or  razor-strop  a 
few  times  to  set  the  edge.  When  finished,  the  gouge  should 
be  in  the  shape  of  a  thumb-nail ;  that  is,  with  the  corners 
sloping  slightly  away,  but  not  rounded.  Before  leaving  the 
subject  of  tools,  we  must  again  urge  on  our  readers  never 
to  carve  without  a  vice  or  holdfast.  The  screw  belonging  to 
your  bench  will  do  very  well  for  rough  work  ;  but  for  other 
purposes  we  should  advise  your  procuring  a  small  metal  vice, 
which  can  be  screwed  to  the  edge  of  a  table  without  injur- 
ing it,  and  also  a  "patent  holdfast,"  which  consists  of  an 
iron  bar  that  fits  into  a  hole  made  for  the  purpose  in  your 
working-bench.  Attached  to  this  bar  is  a  long  arm,  which  is 
raised  or  depressed  by  means  of  a  screw. 

Should  some  of  our  readers  be  unable  to  buy  all  or  any 
of  the  tools  we  have  mentioned,  we  would  not  have  them,  on 
that  account,  be  discouraged,  for  where  there  is  a  will  there 
is  a  way ;  and  we  have  seen  much  beautiful  carving  executed 
by  untaught  artists  by  means  of  the  rudest  and  scantiest 
tools.  Conspicuous  amongst  the  wood-sculpture  in  the  Lon- 
don Exhibition  of  1862  was  an  altar-piece  in  bas-relief,  after 
an  old  picture,  —  the  work  of  a  man  who  had  been  formerly 
a  shoemaker.  Although  endowed  with  a  remarkable  genius 
for  carving,  yet,  being  very  poor,  he  was  for  some  time  with- 
out the  means  of  providing  himself  with  the  proper  tools. 
But  he  overcame  this  obstacle  by  tempering  and  grinding 
some  of  the  awls  which  he  used  in  his  shoemaking  busi- 
ness ;  and  in  this  manner  he  contrived  some  very  passable 


WOOD-CARVING   AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING.       34/ 

tools,  and  with  them  he  carved  several  beautifully  finished 
bas-reliefs.  So  fine  and  minute  were  they,  that  only  by 
the  aid  of  a  magnifying-glass  could  the  extreme  delicacy  of 
the  work  be  appreciated.  In  the  early  life  of  Correggio  we 
find  another  remarkable  instance  of  talent  and  perseverance 
overcoming  all  difficulties.  We  read,  that  when  he  was  quite 
a  little  fellow,  on  being  sent  one  day  into  the  forest  to 
cut  firewood,  he  astonished  his  parents  by  returning  home, 
not,  as  they  expected,  with  a  load  of  fagots,  but  carrying 
instead  a  roughly  carved  figure  of  the  Madonna  and  Child, 
which  he  had  fashioned  out  of  a  log  of  wood ;  his  only  im- 
plement having  been  a  common  knife.  To  those  who,  like 
Correggio,  are  short  of  tools,  we  would  suggest  that  a  ten- 
penny  nail  makes  a  very  fair  substitute  for  a  chisel,  if 
heated  red  hot,  and  then  plunged  into  cold  water  to  tempet 
the  iron,  and  afterwards  ground  into  shape,  and  fitted  with 
a  handle.  This  is  one  of  many  contrivances  for  supplying 
the  place  of  regular  tools,  which  will,  no  doubt,  occur  to  the 
needy  and  ingenious  carver.  Very  little  decided  advice  can 
be  offered  touching  raw  materials,  —  wood,  etc.,  —  as  so  much 
depends  on  the  style  of  carving  which  your  talent  and  in- 
clinations lead  you  to  prefer.  Ebony,  box-wood,  holly,  and 
lignum-vitas  are  all  hard,  close  woods,  and  as  such  are  well 
suited  for  small  objects  demanding  great  delicacy  oi  work- 
manship. The  only  drawback  to  woods  of  this  kind  is  the 
extreme  difficulty  of  procuring  them  in  large  pieces  tolerably 
free  from  **  shakes,"  which  is  the  technical  term  for  cracks; 
and  they  are  also  more  expensive  than  American-grown 
woods,  being  chiefly  imported.  Ebony  and  box  are  usually 
sold  by  weight.  The  former  is  about  twenty-five  cents  per 
pound,  and  the  other  somewhat  less.  Any  good  turner  would 
probably  have  a  supply  of  these  hard  woods,  which  are  used 
chiefly  in  their  trade.     The  wood  usually  employed  by  for- 


348       WOOD-CARVING  AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING, 

eign  carvers,  but  especially  the  Swiss,  is  walnut,  or  lime- 
wood  stained  brown  in  imitation  of  walnut ;  but  a  really 
artistic  workman  would  scorn  the  notion  of  staining  or  var- 
nishing his  work.  The  latter  practice  is  especially  objec- 
tionable, as  it  fills  up  the  interstices,  and  takes  off  the  sharp 
edges,  which  constitute  the  chief  beauty  of  good  carving. 
The  only  application  admissible  is  a  little  oil  rubbed  in  with 
the  hand  or  a  hard  brush.  As  to  coloring,  it  is  sometimes 
necessary,  if  you  are  engaged  in  repairing  or  adding  to  any 
old  oak  carvings,  in  order  that  your  work  may  match  the 
original.  But  what  we  object  to  is  the  trickery  of  passing 
off  deal  or  any  common  wood  for  oak  or  walnut.  It  never 
has  the  desired  effect,  for  any  one  can  detect  the  sham 
Deal  is  by  far  the  worst  wood  you  can  use,  as  from  its  ex 
treme  softness  it  is  very  difficult  to  make  a  clean  stroke 
Do  not  take  any  Swiss  carving,  even  of  the  best  description 
as  a  model  or  guide ;  for  though,  when  seen  from  a  little  dis 
tance,  it  may  seem  very  good,  yet  on  closer  inspection  a 
critical  eye  will  discern  many  flaws  and  imperfections.  For 
if  it  be  possible  to  glue  or  nail  on  any  part,  rather  than  take 
the  trouble  of  carving  it  out  of  the  solid  piece,  these  Swiss 
workmen  will  do  it.  It  may  seem  unkind  to  blame  these 
poor  people,  whose  bread  depends  on  the  sale  of  their  knick- 
nacks,  yet  we  must  say  that  such  a  dishonest  style  of  work 
cannot  be  too  much  deprecated  and  avoided.  It  is,  in  fact, 
what  a  good  workman  would  describe  as  '*  scamping,"  which 
is  a  most  expressive  word,  signifying  work  of  any  kind, 
whether  carving  or  other,  that  is  slurred  over  by  a  dishonest 
person,  a  "scamp,"  who,  instead  of  doing  his  business  hon- 
estly and  thoroughly,  will  not  work  a  stroke  more  than  is  ab- 
solutely necessary.  For  large  pieces  of  carving,  walnut-wood 
is  very  suitable  and  handsome  ;  but  in  many  respects  it  is 
not  to  be  compared  with  oak,  which  in  point  of  effect,  and 


WOOD-CARVING  AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING.       349 

pleasantness  to  work  upon,  is  the  best  wood  we  know.  It 
is  also  especially  fitted  for  all  descriptions  of  ecclesiastical 
carving :  indeed,  little  else  is  employed  for  that  purpose. 
American  oak  is  considered  the  best  by  professional  carvers  ; 
as  it  is  of  a  more  uniform  color  than  English,  of  a  closer 
grain,  and  less  liable  to  flaws  or  knots.  American  walnut 
is  also  preferred,  for  the  same  reason.  In  choosing  and 
preparing  wood  which  you  intend  for  immediate  use,  be  very 
careful  to  select  that  only  which  has  been  thoroughly  shrunk 
and  seasoned  :  otherwise  you  will  have  the  vexation  of  see- 
ing your  work  warped  and  cracked  before  you  have  half 
finished  it.  For  this  reason  it  is  always  advisable  to  have 
a  stock  of  wood  by  you,  for  then  you  will  insure  its  having 
been  kept  a  sufficient  time.  And,  even  should  the  block 
from  which  your  piece  be  cut  have  been  seasoning  for  years, 
it  is  safer  to  prepare  the  wood  a  month  or  two  before  it  is 
required,  as  a  sudden  exposure  to  the  air  will  frequently 
cause  freshly  sawn  wood  to  open  slightly.  A  dry  outhouse 
or  cellar,  where  the  sun  cannot  penetrate,  is  the  best  place 
for  your  store. 

One  of  the  first  requisites  to  help  you  on  your  road  to  suc- 
cess is  that  your  work  should  be  firmly  fixed.  This  can  be 
done  by  fixing  the  wood  to  be  carved  to  a  deal  board,  and 
fastening  this  with  iron  cramps  to  an  ordinary  table.  A 
piece  of  paper  must  be  glued  on  both  sides,  and  placed  be- 
tween the  wood  to  be  carved  and  the  deal ;  so  that  the  two 
pieces  of  wood  can  be  safely  separated,  when  desired,  by  a 
table-knife  being  inserted  in  the  joints,  and  gently  pressed 
forward  till  the  pieces  are  forced  asunder.  But  for  heavy 
work,  it  is  better,  if  possible,  to  have  a  strong,  firm  table 
with  a  small  hole  bored  through  the  top  about  four  inches 
from  the  front  centre.  The  wood  to  be  carved  is  fastened 
to  the  table  by  means  of  the  carver's  screw  (No.  2),  thus : 


3 so     Wood-car  ViNG  and  light  carpentehii/g. 

bore  a  hole  with  a  gimlet  in  the  back  of  the  wood,  and  turn 
the  point  of  the  carver's  screw  into  the  gimlet-hole  until  it 
has  a  firm  grip,  but  not  sufficiently  far  to  interfere  with 
the  carving  which  is  to  be  executed.  Next,  pass  the  thick 
end  of  the  screw  through  the  hole  in  the  table  from  above, 
and  screw  on  the  nut  underneath  until  the  whole  is  quite 
firm.  The  great  advantages  possessed  by  this  mode  of  fas- 
tening the  work  are,  that,  it  being  all  underneath  the  table, 
nothing  projects  to  trouble  the  carver,  and  that,  by  merely 
loosening  the  nut,  the  work  can  easily  be  turned  to  any 
position,  and  be  again  made  fast  by  the  nut  being  tightly 
rescrewed. 

For  the  tools  required,  their  names  and  uses,  see  illustra- 
tion. The  difference  between  gouges  and  chisels  consists 
in  the  former  having  rounded  or  curved  edges  of  various 
sweeps,  whilst  the  latter  have  quite  straight  edges.  Nos.  3, 
4>  5>  6,  7,  represent  the  impressions  made  by  gouges  with 
differently  shaped  edges.  No.  8  is  an  entering-chisel ;  No.  9,  a 
corner-chisel ;  and  No.  10,  the  impression  made  by  a  carving- 
chisel.  The  riffler  (No.  11)  is  simply  a  file  with  curved 
points,  and  is  used  for  smoothing  nooks  and  corners  where 
glass-paper  cannot  be  used,  and  also  for  giving  smooth  sur- 
faces to  small  details  of  work.  It  often  tends  to  give 
carving  the  appearance  of  having  been  modelled.  A  bench- 
vice,  for  the  purpose  of  holding  the  wood  while  it  is  being 
prepared  for  carving,  a  cutter  (No.  12),  for  grounding  work, 
and  a  liner  (No.  i),  are  al§o  necessary.  I  do  not  know  the 
technical  name  of  this  last-mentioned  instrument,  and  so 
have  named  it  liner,  as  it  is  employed  to  cut  straight  lines  in 
the  borders  of  carvings.  The  horizontal  bar,  A,  to  which 
the  tiny  steel  point,  C,  is  attached,  is  passed  through  the 
piece  of  wood,  B,  till  it  projects  as  far  as  is  required.  It  is 
then  screwed  in  firmly  ;  and  the  wood,  B,  will  act  as  a  gauge 


WOOD-CARVING  AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING,       35 1 

in  keeping  the  line  to  be  cut  perfectly  straight.  The  steel 
point,  C,  which  cuts  the  line,  can  be  hammered  in  or  out  of 
the  bar,  according  to  the  depth  which  you  desire  your  line 
to  be.  At  D,  the  other  end  of  the  horizontal  bar,  there  is  a 
round  hole  for  the  insertion  of  a  pencil.  The  steel  point 
having  been  removed,  the  pencil  is  used  for  drawing  straight 


m 


JO  — 
;^  A 

-J 


3 


7A 


ii 


m 


Fig.  127. —Tools. 

I.  Liner.  2,  Carver's  screw.  3.  Entering-gouge,  for  hollowing  out  undulations  in  leaves,  etc 
4.  Parting-tool,  for  veining  leaves  and  outline-work.  5.  Bent  parting-tool.  6.  Maccaroni-tool,  for 
removing  wood  on  each  side  of  a  stalk,  or  vein  of  a  leaf.  7  Double-bent  fluting-gouge,  for  remov- 
ing wood  from  the  hollows  of  leaves,  etc.,  where  a  straight  gouge  cannot  be  used.  8  Entering- 
chisel,  for  levelling  ground-work  in  confined  spaces.  9.  Comer-chisei.  10.  Carving-chisel,  for 
levelling  ground-work  and  cutting  round  the  design.    11.  Riffler.    12.  Cutter. 


lines,  B  again  acting  as  a  gauge.  A  lump  of  modelling-wax, 
a  glue-pot,  a  small  mallet,  glass-paper,  a  stiff  brush,  a  screw- 
driver, compasses,  and  a  few  small  files  and  gimlets,  complete 
our  list.  Work  with  as  few  different  sorts  of  tools  as  possi- 
ble, but  have  several  variations  in  size  of  each  tool. 

All  your  tools  must  be  ground,  or  sharpened,  to  a  fine 
edge.     These  are  somewhat  difficult  processes;  and  some 


352        WOOD-CARVING  AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING. 

practice  is  required  in  order  to  accomplish  them  satisfactorily. 
You  can  either  buy  them  ready  "set,"  or  you  can  get  a 
wood-carver  or  cabinet-maker  to  set  them  for  you,  and  I 
should  strongly  advise  you  to  watch  the  process,  if  you  have 
the  opportunity.  As  the  points  or  blades  of  the  tools  differ 
in  shapes,  some  naturally  require  a  different  mode  of  treat 
ment  from  others.  The  finest  grindstones,  and  therefore  the 
best  fitted  for  edge-tools,  are  called  *'  Bilston,"  from  the  name 
of  the  place  where  they  are  quarried.  When  grinding  the 
tools,  care  must  be  taken  to  keep  the  stone  wet  by  sprin- 
kling it  with  water,  else  the  tools  will  suffer  from  the  heat 
generated  by  the  grinding  process.  The  gouges  are  ground 
on  their  convex  side  at  an  angle  of  twenty-three  degrees, 
and  are  turned  slightly  but  continually  the  whole  time,  so  as 
to  keep  them  even ;  those  which  have  the  most  curved  edges 
requiring  the  most  turning.  The  corner-chisel  (No.  9)  is 
ground  on  both  sides ;  No.  10  is  ground  on  its  lower  side ; 
No.  7  is  ground  exactly  equally  on  its  three  outer  sides. 

The  tools,  when  ground,  must  next  be  *'  set,"  or  sharpened 
on  oil-stones.  Arkansas  or  Bilston  is  used  for  the  more  deli- 
cate instruments  ;  Turkey,  for  the  others.  It  will  be  neces- 
sary not  only  to  have  a  flat  side,  but  also  a  round  edge,  to 
your  stone,  in  order  to  fit  the  edges  of  the  gouges.  The 
tools  are  set  in  the  following  manner:  hold  your  tool  in 
your  left  hand,  and  the  stone,  previously  wetted  with  sweet 
oil,  in  your  right.  Rub  the  gouges  on  their  convex  sides  with 
the  flat  part  of  the  stone,  on  their  concave  sides  with  the 
round  edge  of  the  stone.  No  9  must  be  rubbed  on  both 
sides ;  No.  10,  on  the  lower  side  only,  with  the  flat  side  of 
the  stone  :  No.  7  must  be  rubbed  on  its  three  outer  sides 
with  the  Arkansas. 

The  third  and  last  process  to  which  the  tools  must  be  sub- 
jected is  "  strapping  "  them.     Provide  yourself  with  a  piece 


WOOD-CARVING  AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING.       353 

of  thick,  soft  buff-leather  glued  to  a  strip  of  wood  ;  moisten 
it  well  with  sweet  oil,  and  make  a  sort  of  paste  on  its  surface 
with  fine  emery  and  putty  powder,  and  draw  your  tools  over 
it.  The  tools  will  but  seldom  require  sharpening  or  setting, 
if  they  are  kept  in  a  proper  state,  and  occasionally  drawn 
over  the  leather  strap.  In  intervals  of  use,  and,  indeed,  at 
all  times  when  not  actually  employed  in  cutting,  the  tools 
should  be  placed  in  racks  in  a  shallow  box,  or  else  in  a  leather 
or  flannel  case  fitted  with  loops,  so  that  they  cannot  tumble 
out,  or  knock  each  other.  The  stones  also  must  be  kept  in  a 
covered  box,  and  be  well  wiped  before  they  are  put  away. 

All  wood  employed  for  carving  -  purposes  must  be  well 
seasoned,  and  free  from  "  knots,"  or  faults.  If,  however,  work 
has  been  begun  on  a  piece  of  wood  which  shows,  by  "  warp- 
ing," that  it  has  not  been  properly  seasoned,  it  need  not 
necessarily  be  thrown  away  on  that  account.  Try  first  to 
remedy  the  defect  by  one  of  the  following  simple  means. 
Either  place  a  damp  towel  under  the  concave  side  of  the 
wood,  and  a  weight  (not  so  heavy  as  to  break  the  wood)  over 
it,  or  place  the  warped  wood  at  about  three  feet  from  an 
ordinary  fire,  with  its  convex  side  towards  it.  Whichever 
plan  is  adopted,  watchfulness  is  needed  so  as  not  to  "over- 
do "  the  remedy,  and  thus  to  allow  the  wood  to  warp  in  the 
contrary  direction. 

The  choice  of  the  wood  to  be  used  is  of  much  conse- 
quence. I  have  already  spoken  of  the  advantages  possessed 
by  lime-wood :  it  is  quite  as  suitable  for  small  works  as  for 
large  designs.  Sycamore,  holly,  and  chestnut  are  among 
the  lightest  of  our  woods.  Sycamore  is  therefore  generally 
used  for  bread-plates.  American  walnut  is  of  a  dark  color. 
Accidents  are  more  apt  to  occur  in  working  with  it  than  with 
lime-wood,  owing  to  its  more  open  grain  ;  but  it  is  much  in 
favor  for  small  works,  where  no  great  thickness  or  solidncss 


354       WOOD-CARVING  AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING, 

of  carving  is  required.  Oak  is  oftenest  chosen  for  church- 
work  or  solid  furniture.  Pear  somewhat  resembles  lime  in 
working,  but  it  is  darker  and  harder.  Italian  walnut  is  also 
one  of  the  harder  woods  ;  but  it  is  beautifully  adapted  for 
panels  and  cabinets,  and  well  repays  the  extra  labor  which 
it  entails.  For  very  fine  work,  close-grained  woods,  such  a^ 
box  or  ebony,  are  the  best. 

Before  beginning  to  draw  on  the  wood,  it  is  advisable  to 
whiten  the  surface  by  brushing  Chinese  white,  diluted  with 
water,  over  it.  In  case  you  are  working  on  a  dark  wood, 
this  will  enable  you  to  see  your  drawing  or  tracing  clearly 
on  it.  But  there  is  another  reason  for  the  "whitening," 
besides  this ;  namely,  that  in  the  after-process  of  carving, 
when  you  have  already  cut  away  a  good  deal  of  the  ground- 
work, the  places  where  the  white  remains  will  show  you 
plainly  where  you  require  the  greatest  relief  or  projection. 
If  your  design  is  of  a  conventional  or  geometrical  type,  the 
two  sides  being  similar  the  one  to  the  other,  rule  a  line 
down  the  centre  of  your  piece  of  wood.  Draw  your  design 
on  one  side  only ;  trace  it ;  then  lay  your  tracing  over  the 
other  side,  with  dark  tracing-paper  between,  and  retrace  it. 
If  your  design  is  of  a  flowing  or  irregular  type,  it  is  best  to 
draw  the  whole  on  paper  first,  and,  having  made  a  tracing  of 
it,  to  retrace  the  whole  at  once  on  your  wood. 

I  should  strongly  advise  those  who  are  beginners  in  the 
art  of  wood-carving  to  try  their  skill  first  on  a  simple  design 
involving  no  very  great  amount  of  labor.  We  will  suppose 
that  you  have  chosen  a  spray  of  ivy  (see  illustration),  and 
propose  to  carve  it  on  a  piece  of  lime-wood.  Bear  in  mind 
that  every  cut  you  make  will  tend  either  to  beautify  or  spoil 
your  design,  and  will  bear  a  clear  and  lasting  testimony  for 
or  against  you.  Having  drawn  or  traced  your  design  on  the 
wood,  take  your  carving-gouge  No.  3,  and,  wherever  it  fits 


WOOb-CARViNG  AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING.       355 

the  curves  of  your  design,  proceed  to  outline  with  it.  Out- 
lining is  technically  called  "hosting,"  a  word  probably  de- 
rived from  the  Italian  Abbozare,  "to  sketch."  You  will 
probably  have  to  use  several  variations  of  the  carving-gouge, 
possessing  edges  with  different  sweeps  of  curvature.  It  is 
quite  impossible  to  lay  down  a  rigid  law  as  to  what  tools  will 
be  required  for  different  parts  of  your  work  ;  as  practice,  and 


ffto.  laS.  —  SntAV  or  Iw>lbavb8. 


practice  only,  will  soon  teach  you  which  tools  will  fit  the 
different  curves,  and  are  therefore  the  best  adapted  to  your 
purpose.  Hold  your  tool  in  your  right  hand,  either  quite 
perpendicularly  or  slightly  bending  outwards  (on  no  account 
let  it  slope  inwards,  and  thus  tend  to  undercut  the  leaves) ; 
press  it  into  the  wood  by  gentle  taps  with  your  mallet. 
When  the  mallet  is  not  required,  the  handle  of  whatever 
carving-tool  you  are  using  should  be  grasped  firmly  in  the 
right  hand,  the  left  wrist  lying  on  your  work,  and  the  left 


356       WOOD-CARVING  AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING. 

hand  holding  the  tool  a  little  below  the  middle ;  or  the  left 
hand  may  be  held  in  a  hollowed  position,  so  that  the  tool 
rests  in  front  against  its  fingers.  This  position  enables  the 
right  hand  to  act  as  a  guide,  while  the  left  hand  steadies 
the  tool,  and  prevents  it  from  slipping  forward.  If  these 
instructions  are  carefully  followed,  any  injury  to  the  work  or 
hands  will  effectually  be  prevented. 

Now  cut  or  scoop  away  the  wood  of  the  ground ;  that  is, 
every  part  except  where  the  stalks  and  leaves  are  to  be 
formed,  with  your  chisels.  This  "  cutting-away  "  process  is 
often  repeated  two  or  three  times  by  carvers.  But,  having 
cut  away  the  wood  oncey  you  can  then  save  yourself  a  great 
amount  of  labor,  and  at  the  same  time  insure  your  ground 
being  perfectly  level  and  smooth,  by  using  the  cutter  No.  12. 
This  is  a  small  piece  of  steel,  with  a  flat  sharp  edge,  inserted 
between  two  strips  of  wood.  This  steel  should  be  made  to 
project  beyond  the  strips  to  the  depth  which  you  wish  your 
ground  to  be  of,  and  is  then  securely  fastened  by  the  strips 
being  tightly  screwed  together.  Move  the  cutter  steadily 
backwards  and  forwards  until  it  has  cleared  the  ground  to 
the  depth  you  require,  taking  care  not  to  injure  the  outlines 
of  your  design  in  going  round  them.  This  grounding  is  the 
only  work  in  carving  which  necessitates  any  considerable 
exertion  :  you  will  therefore  find  it  pleasanter,  generally,  to 
have  two  or  more  pieces  of  wood-carving  on  hand  at  the  same 
time,  in  different  stages  of  workmanship ;  so  that  you  need 
not  overtire  yourself  by  doing  all  the  hard  work  at  once. 

The  grounding  being  done,  the  formation  of  the  stalks 
and  leaves  next  engrosses  our  attention.  The  stalk  must 
not  have  the  same  amount  of  projection  in  every  part.  In 
nature,  the  stalk  is  much  thicker  at  A  than  at  B ;  and  your 
carving  must  imitate  nature  as  closely  as  possible.  The  sur- 
faces of  the  leaves  are  rounded,  and  have  a  downward  slope 


WOOD-CARVING   AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING.       357 

towards  the  edges.  The  leaves  C,  D,  and  E,  lie  above  the 
stalk,  and  must  therefore  project  over  it ;  while  the  leaf  F 
lies  under  the  stalk,  and  must  therefore  have  a  much  slighter 
projection.  The  stalk  should  be  rounded,  but  left  rather 
rough,  in  order  to  preserve  a  natural  appearance.  Where 
one  stem  passes  over  the  other,  G  and  H,  a  clear  distinction 
between  each  stem  must  be  observed ;  and  yet  the  under  stem 
must  not  be  cut  away  or  depressed  in  an  abrupt  manner. 
To  avoid  this,  begin  your  line  of  slope  sufficiently  far  back, 
and  cut  away  the  wood  equally  on  each  side  of  the  under 
stem. 

Try  not  to  make  a  number  of  tiny  cuts  or  stabs  with  your 
tools,  but  take  as  long  a  cut  as  the  nature  of  your  design  will 
allow.  The  power  given  by  being  able  to  make  long  cuts 
can  scarcely  be  over-rated ;  the  work  thus  done  having  a 
smooth  and  flowing  appearance,  and  no  glass-paper  being 
wanted  in  order  to  level  its  surface  afterwards.  For  small 
details,  where  long  cuts  are  impossible,  the  riffler,  which  has 
been  already  mentioned,  is  useful.  A  gouge  with  a  some- 
what fiat  edge  is  well  fitted  for  forming  the  leaves  and 
stalks ;  but  beginners  will  probably  find  that  at  first  they 
will  be  able  to  use  the  corner-chisel  with  greater  ease.  The 
centre  veins,  or  midribs,  of  the  leaves,  should  now  be  carved, 
and  may  be  either  incised  or  left  raised.  Use  the  parting  or 
veining  tool  for  this.  For  incision,  cut  double  lines  from 
the  stem,  and  allow  these  to  converge  until  they  quite  meet 
at  the  tips  of  the  leaves  (see  illustration).  Then  cut  the 
side  veins  in  single  lines,  keeping  them  clear  and  sharp. 
None  of  your  incisions  should  be  deep.  If  you  prefer  to 
have  the  centre  veins  raised,  instead  of  incised,  take  the 
macaroni,  and  with  its  aid  remove  the  wood  on  each  side 
of  the  vein,  sloping  the  tool  slightly  towards  the  vein,  but 
not  so  as  to  undercut  your  work  to  any  appreciable  extent. 


358        WOOD-CARVING  AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING. 

Never  use  greater  force  than  is  absolutely  necessary  to  de- 
tach the  chips,  else  you  will  splinter  or  hurt  the  surrounding 
wood,  which,  it  is  well  to  bear  in  mind,  is  always  strongest 
in  the  direction  of  its  fibre.  Remember,  also,  that  it  is  far 
better  to  cut  away  too  little  wood  than  too  much  :  the  former 
defect  is  easily  remedied,  not  so  the  latter.  If  your  work  is 
uneven,  very  fine  glass-paper  may  be  used  for  smoothing  it. 
Either  glue  it  on  narrow  strips  of  wood,  and  use  it  as  a 
file,  or  rub  the  surface  of  your  work  with  a  loose  piece  of 
glass-paper.  But  it  is  far  better  not  to  have  recourse  to  this 
process,  if  you  can  manage  to  get  your  carving  sufficiently 
smooth  without  it.  Anyhow,  it  should  be  done  at  the  very 
last,  when  the  cutting  is  quite  finished,  as  tiny  particles  of 
the  glass  often  remain  on  the  wood,  and  these  would  entirely 
spoil  the  edges  of  any  tools  they  come  in  contact  with. 

Try  to  avoid  stiffness  throughout  your  whole  work,  and  to 
keep,  as  far  as  possible,  a  natural  and  therefore  a  graceful 
appearance.  Do  you  require  designs  for  your  carving }  Na- 
ture is  a  vast  storehouse ;  and  the  nearer  and  more  exactly 
you  copy  her  in  her  rounded  forms  and  flowing  curves,  so 
much  the  more  truly  artistic  will  your  work  be.  Foliage, 
flowers,  birds,  fruit,  are  within  the  reach  of  all,  and  will 
provide  an  endless  variety  of  designs.  But  you  must  use 
judgment  and  observation  in  choosing  nature's  best  speci- 
mens :  it  would  be  fully  as  unwise  to  make  choice  of  de- 
formed leaves,  or  twigs  with  unnatural  bends,  to  copy  from, 
as  it  would  be  for  an  artist  to  represent  a  deformed  person 
or  child  as  his  ideal  of  beauty.  Not  many  days  ago  I  was  at 
a  school  of  art  where  two  classes  were  employed  in  design- 
ing from  nature,  the  pupils  having  each  brought  a  flower  or 
piece  of  foliage  with  them.  Some  half-dozen  were  engaged 
in  drawing  from  sprays  of  horse-chestnut.  In  no  less  than 
three  of  these  the  leaves  were  deformed,  and  they  were, 


WOOD-CAR  VING  AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING.       359 

therefore,  as  the  lady  teacher  pointed  out,  worse  than  use- 
less as  models.  In  order  to  gain  a  good  conception  of  the 
way  in  which  your  leaves,  fruit,  or  stalks,  will  overlie  each 
other,  and  also  of  the  different  amount  of  projection  re- 
quired in  the  several  parts  of  your  work,  you  would  find  it 
very  useful  to  have  a  lump  of  modelling-wax  at  hand  where- 
with first  to  model  your  design. 

Good  photographs  of  carving  or  sculpture  also  are  pleasant 
to  work  from,  as  they  give  a  very  fair  idea  of  roundness  and 
projection. 

I  have  said  nothing  about  the  bow-saw  and  the  buhl-saw, 
as  neither  is  required  for  any  ordinary  carving.  The  for- 
mer is  used  for  shaping  blocks  of  wood,  and  for  outlining  in 
very  solid  pieces  of  carving ;  while  the  latter  is  only  neces- 
sary when  the  work  done  is  a  sort  of  combination  of  fret- 
work and  carving. 

The  best  light  for  carving,  as  for  all  sorts  of  painting  and 
drawing,  is  a  northern  one.  But  all  that  you  need  really 
care  about  is  to  have  a  good  light  in  front  of  you  when  you 
are  working.  This  is  a  matter  of  some  consequence,  as 
carving  that  looks  quite  smooth  and  finished  when  seen  in 
one  light  will  look  quite  rough  when  held  in  another. 

Finished  carving  is  often  varnished,  oiled,  stained,  or  pol 
ished ;  but  these  processes  should  only  be  resorted  to  when 
you  believe  that  they  will  perfect  your  carving,  either  by 
bringing  out  the  beauty  of  the  grain,  or  the  color  of  the 
material  employed.  Oak  or  walnut  is  generally  merely 
oiled  with  linseed-oil,  and,  after  the  lapse  of  two  or  three 
days,  brushed  with  a  stiff  bristle-brush,  unless  the  carving 
is  too  delicate  to  admit  of  this  operation.  Too  much  oil  must 
not  be  applied,  else  the  work  will  assume  a  greasy  or  shiny 
appearance.  Boxwood  should  be  washed  over  with  the 
strongest   possible   aquafortis,  and  in  a  few  minutes'  time 


360       WOOD-CARVING  AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING, 

(when  its  color  is  sufficiently  dark)  be  plunged  into  cold 
water.     When  dry,  brush  it  over  with  a  stiff  brush. 

Bichromate  of  potash  diluted  with  water  for  hard  woods, 
and  walnut  stain  made  without  oil  and  diluted  with  water 
for  lime  and  other  light  woods,  are  in  very  general  use.  It 
is  as  well  to  try  these  stains  on  pieces  of  waste  wood  in 
order  to  test  their  strength.  They  should  be  applied  with  a 
small  brush  to  the  carvings,  care  being  taken  not  to  go  over 
the  same  place  twice. 

Polishing  is  not  a  clean  or  pleasant  occupation,  but  it  cer- 
tainly does  add  to  the  effect  of  some  works.  The  flat  sur- 
faces in  the  carvings  to  be  polished  ought  to  be  perfectly 
smooth,  as  every  little  scratch  or  unevenness  will  be  distinctly 
visible  after  the  polishing  process.  White  or  transparent 
polish  is  used  for  light  or  black ;  French  polish,  for  brown 
woods.  Soak  some  tow,  cotton-wool,  or  wadding  in  the 
polish  to  be  used :  make  it  into  a  pad  by  putting  it  into  a 
piece  of  soft  linen,  and  drop  a  little  linseed-oil  on  the  pad ; 
this  will  enable  the  pad  to  pass  easily  over  the  wood.  The 
pad  should  only  feel  slightly  "sticky;"  but  very  little  oil 
being  used,  as  this  has  a  tendency  to  deaden  the  polish. 
Use  the  pad  with  a  circular  motion,  re-wetting  it,  when 
necessary,  with  the  polish  and  oil.  About  three  coats  of 
polish  are  generally  required,  the  carving  being  allowed  to 
dry  thoroughly  between  each. 

To  conclude:  '^Practice  is  better  than  precept"  is  very 
true  of  wood-carving :  and  though,  perhaps,  at  first  you  may 
undertake  it  merely  as  a  means  of  filling  up  your  leisure 
hours,  yet  perseverance  in  it  will  bring  in  its  train  real 
enjoyment ;  partly  from  the  better  acquaintance  you  will 
have  with  Nature's  handiwork,  from  which  you  have  sought 
the  originals  of  your  designs ;  partly,  also,  in  the  pleasure  it 
will  enable  you  to  give  to  others.     Are  not  presents  with 


WOOD-CARVING  AND  LIGHT  CARPENTERING.       36 1 

"histories"  attached  to  them  far  more  valuable  to  our  friends 
than  things  bought  ready-made  ?  And  is  it  too  much  to  say, 
that  a  piece  of  wood-carving  is  our  "  petrified  "  or  consoli- 
dated thought  ?  For  is  not  our  conception,  and  the  fulfil- 
ment of  that  conception,  written  plainly  in  every  leaf  and 
flower  ? 


362  STRAWBERRY-CULTURE  FOR   GIRLS. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

STRAWBERRY-CULTURE   FOR  GIRLS. 

Nothing  yields  better  returns,  either  in  health  and  vigor, 
or  in  money,  to  a  girl  living  out  of  town,  than  the  culture  of 
small  fruits  :  of  these,  strawberries  are,  in  many  respects,  the 
most  desirable.  To  begin  with,  she  needs  but  little  capital ; 
but  she  must  have  a  love  of  outdoor  life,  energy,  application, 
and  the  determination  to  succeed. 

If  she  can  have  the  use  of  a  plot  of  ground,  say  an  eighth 
or  a  quarter  of  an  acre,  or  less,  and  can  get  it  rightly  pre- 
pared, with  sufficient  plants  for  the  bed,  she  has,  with  the  aid 
of  those  qualities  first  named,  all  the  real  elements  of  suc- 
cess. In  the  latitude  of  New  York  or  Philadelphia  the  land 
is  apt  to  be  sandy  or  loamy,  and  gives,  when  well  cared  for, 
large,  sweet,  and  abundant  fruit. 

We  will  suppose  our  maiden  to  have  at  command  an 
eighth  of  an  acre  of  good  soil  (moist,  but  not  too  wet  or  low), 
and  near  the  house.  She  will,  about  the  middle  of  August, 
have  it  spread  thick  with  a  large  load  of  old,  well-rotted 
stable-manure :  if  possible,  a  little  muck  or  wood-ashes  must 
be  mixed  with  this.  When  the  ground  is  suitably  dry,  it 
must  be  ploughed  and  harrowed ;  and,  having  secured  her 
roots,  she  will  at  once  set  to  work. 

How  many  plants  will  be  needed.^  That  is  easily  com- 
puted. We  remember  that  there  are  43,560  square  feet  in 
an  acre  :  this,  divided  by  the  number  of  square  feet  occupied 
by  each  plant,  will  give  the  exact  sum  required  to  cover  a 


STRAWBERRY-CULTURE  FOR   GIRLS.  363 

single  acre.  For  instance,  strawberries  are  set  out  in  rows, 
generally  three  feet  apart  one  way,  and  one  foot  the  other ; 
so  that  each  root  occupies  three  square  feet.  Take  three, 
then,  as  the  divisor  of  43,560,  and  we  have  the  quotient  — 
which  will  be  ample  for  the  acre  —  of  14,520.  One-eighth 
of  this  gives  1,815,  the  number  of  berry-roots  required  for 
our  plot. 

But  we  must  first  settle  on  the  variety,  —  a  hard  choice 
where  there  are  so  many  favorites.  If  the  market  is  close 
at  hand  (and  it  ought  to  be  for  young  managers  and  small 
beds),  a  softer,  sweeter  kind  can  be  raised  than  when  they 
are  to  be  sent  to  a  distance.  The  .Crescent  Seedling,  Seth 
Boyden,  Jocunda,  Sharpless,  Charles  Downing,  and  the  new 
James  Vick,  are  all  excellent,  as  are  many  others. 

The  roots  ought  to  be  brought  from  the  nursery  just  be- 
fore setting  out :  if  not,  they  can  be  kept  damp  by  sprin- 
kling.    On  no  account  must  they  be  left  to  dry. 

After  the  ground  is  marked  lengthwise  into  furrows,  the 
plants  can  easily  be  set  out  regularly,  with  the^aid  of  a  stick 
marked  into  lengths  of  a  foot  each.  This  should  be  just 
before  night,  or  before  a  shower,  to  avoid  a  scorching  sun. 
With  a  garden-trowel  dig  a  cavity  in  the  ground ;  spread  out 
the  little  roots  within  it  very  carefully ;  fill  in  the  earth 
lightly  but  closely,  and  press  hard  about  the  stems.  This  is 
soon  finished.  It  is  desirable  that  the  bed  should  be  well 
watered  every  night  until  it  rains,  after  which  they  will  no 
longer  need  that  care. 

In  about  a  week,  with  a  small  rake  —  there  are  all  sorts 
of  light  tools  for  just  such  purposes  in  hardware  stores  — 
scratch  the  surface  of  the  earth  between  the  rows  gently, 
but  do  not  disturb  the  roots ;  and  keep  the  bed  free  from 
weeds  until  cold  weather. 

At  the  time  heavy  frosts  appear,  in  November,  rake  up 


364  STRAWBERRY-CULTURE  FOR   GIRLS. 

from  the  nearest  clump  of  trees  sufficient  dead  leaves  for 
winter  blankets  for  the  young  vines,  underneath  which  they 
will  sleep  quietly  till  spring,  especially  if  pains  be  taken  to 
press  them  down,  though  not  too  tightly,  by  means  of  boards 
and  brush.  Not  only  does  this  protect  them  from  thawing 
and  freezing,  but  the  leaf-mould  is  excellent  nourishment  for 
the  plants.     If  more  convenient,  use  straw  or  refuse  hay. 

By  the  first  of  the  next  April,  all  this  must  be  removed. 
The  leaves  or  straw  may  be  raked  between  the  wide  rows  to 
serve  for  mulching.  By  it  the  berries  are  kept  from  beating 
into  the  dirt  by  rain.  If  the  ground  is  not  well  covered, 
more  straw  must  be  use^ ;  and  every  weed  that  dares  show 
its  head  must  be  pulled.  As  little  runners  creep  out  on  this 
side  and  that,  pinch  them  off ;  so  that  the  entire  strength  of 
the  plant  may  be  kept  to  nourish  its  luscious  fruit. 

The  reward  for  this  care  will  soon  appear  in  starlike  blos- 
soms, which  quickly  change  into  green  berries,  ripening 
under  the  glowing  heat  of  the  sun.  It  is  a  wonderful  trans- 
formation scene,  and  good  mother  Nature  is  the  enchantress. 
And,  the  more  we  study  her  methods  of  working,  the  greater 
will  be  our  admiration  and  delight. 

By  the  last  week  of  May,  fragrant  crimson  cones  will  be 
ready  to  melt  in  the  mouth,  while  busy  fingers  gather  in  the 
delicious  harvest.  Of  course  no  one  will  be  allowed  to  enter 
this  choice  plot  who  is  not  careful  about  stepping  on  vines 
and  leaves,  or  who  injures  them  by  flowing  skirts,  and  no 
child  with  soiled  fingers  will  be  permitted  to  mar  one  of  these 
perishable  beauties.  When  possible,  too,  the  fruit  must  be 
picked  in  the  cool  of  the  day,  just  before  twilight. 

After  the  picking  season  is  over,  the  bed  still  needs  to  be 
kept  free  from  runners  and  weeds.  If  you  wish  new  plants 
for  another  bed,  however,  you  have  only  to  let  the  runners 
grow,  and  when  they  take  root  (as  they  will  in  a  few  weeks), 


STRAWBERRY-CULTURE  FOR   GIRLS.  365 

cut  the  connection  between  the  new  plant  and  the  parent 
stem.  If  properly  managed,  the  original  bed  will  remain 
good  for  four  years.  Every  fall  it  ought  to  be  spaded,  and 
manure  should  be  mixed  with  the  earth.  This  must  be  old, 
from  the  stable ;  or  it  may  be  wood-ashes  or  ground  bone. 
The  plant  consumes  a  great  deal  of  what  we  call  waste 
material,  but  which  is  rich  in  substances,  that,  by  some  mys- 
terious process,  it  converts  into  fruit. 

For  such  a  small  plot,  little  help  will  be  required  in  picking 
berries,  and  none  in  cultivation,  after  the  ground  is  once  in 
order,  and  the  annual  spading  is  done. 

And  what  should  be  the  result  ? 

First,  a  deal  of  health,  strength,  and  happiness,  with  a  new 
knowledge  of  the  habits  of  plants  and  of  the  laws  of  nature. 

In  regard  to  pecuniary  profit,  some  report  as  high  as  six, 
seven,  or  eight  hundred  dollars  an  acre ;  but  that  is  had 
only  by  the  most  successful  gardeners  during  fine  seasons, 
when  all  conditions  are  nearly  perfect.  The  ordinary  culti- 
vation must  not  begin  with  great  expectations,  and  end  with 
bitter  disgust.  Intelligence  and  faithful  work  will  be  sure 
to  give  due  reward.  Add  to  the  cash  account  a  great  deal 
of  enjoyment,  some  practical  knowledge  of  gardening,  and  a 
glad  sense  of  having  done  something  useful,  and  done  it  well. 

The  record  of  an  average  year  will  be  something  like  this, 
varying,  of  course,  according  to  the  richness  of  the  soil,  its 
cultivation,  and  the  season.  The  price  is  subject  to  change 
also. 

Dr. 

To  ploughing,  harrowing,  and  laying  out  one-eighth  an  acre        .  $1.00 

"    manure 3.00 

"    1,815  plants  at  $4.50  per  thousand 8.16 

**   tools,  —  rake,  hoe,  trowel,  etc. 1.00 

Total $13.16 


^66  STRAWBERRY-CULTURE  FOR   GIRLS, 

On  the  other  hand  :  — 

Cr. 
587  quarts  of  berries  at  14  cents  per  quart $82.18 

Leaving  a  clear  gain  of  ^^69.02  for  our  young  gardener. 

No  expense  of  picking  fruit,  of  small  baskets  to  hold  them 
if  sent  to  a  distance,  or  commission  on  sales,  need  be  given 
for  so  small  a  plot.  If  the  size  be  increased  so  these  are 
needed,  then  we  may  calculate  to  pay  at  the  rate  of  a  cent 
and  a  half  each  for  baskets,  and  about  two  cents  per  quart 
for  picking. 

It  is  possible  to  bring  up  the  yield  much  higher  than  is 
given  above,  but  this  is  more  practicable  on  a  small  bed  than 
in  a  large  one.  Profits  cannot  increase  in  proportion  to  the 
increase  of  land  cultivated ;  since  one  alone  cannot  give 
the  same  close  attention  and  care,  more  help  being  necessary 
for  the  larger  plot.  At  all  events,  when  a  girl  finds  herself 
with  little  to  do,  and  has  a  desire  to  increase  her  pocket- 
money  and  sense  of  independence,  here  is  an  avenue,  and  a 
pleasant  one,  to  a  field  of  labor  certain  of  bringing  re- 
muneratioiL 


SMALL  FRUITS,  —  CURRANTS,  RASPBERRIES,  ETC.      367 


CHAPTER  XII. 

SMALL   FRUITS, —CURRANTS,   RASPBERRIES,   AND  BLACKBERRIES. 

For  all  these  small  fruits  the  ground  must  be  thoroughly- 
prepared  as  for  Strawberries.  Manure  must  not  be  spared, 
and  the  soil  for  raspberries  should  be  thoroughly  drained  if 
possible.  Currants  need  moisture  and  shade,  as  they  are 
natives  of  cold,  damp  climates.  Indeed,  they  do  not  flourish 
farther  south  than  the  Middle  States. 

It  must  also  be  remembered  that  they  do  not  bear  till  the 
second  season  after  transplanting,  even  when  the  roots  are 
two  years  old.  But  they  will  last,  if  well  cultivated,  nearly 
or  quite  twenty  years. 

The  land  must  be  made  very  rich  for  this  fruit :  indeed,  it 
bears  coarser  nourishment  than  strawberries.  They  are  to 
be  set  out  in  October,  in  rows  five  feet  one  way  by  four  the 
other,  when  the  ground  is  ready.  There  is  no  reason  why 
this  may  not  be  done  by  our  maiden,  since  the  work  is  not 
heavy.  They  need  to  be  set  deep  and  firm,  and  a  small 
spade  will  be  necessary  here. 

After  all  are  set,  pruning  must  not  be  forgotten.  By  tak- 
ing a  knife  made  for  such  uses,  and  going  over  the  field,  we 
shall  find  it  needful  to  cut  back  the  branches  nearly  one-half 
their  length,  taking  off  long,  slender  ones,  so  as  to  compel  the 
bush  to  keep  round  and  compact.  As  in  the  case  of  straw- 
berries, the  trimmed  bushes  direct  their  juices  then  to  fruit, 
instead  of  growth. 

The  next  spring  the  ground  should  be  ploughed,  and  after 


368      SMALL  FRUITS,  —  CURRANTS,  RASPBERRIES,  ETC. 

that  kept  free  from  weeds ;  and  July  of  the  second  season 
will  see  the  reward  of  your  labors. 

For  this  fruit  there  is  always  demand.  It  is  easy  to  pick, 
and  does  not  readily  spoil.  But  we  must  not  forget  to  keep 
the  bushes  clipped  back  and  trimmed  to  about  ten  stems  on 
each,  and  to  see  that  they  are  free  from  weeds,  and  heavily 
manured.  When  bearing,  they  may  be  mulched,  like  straw- 
berries, and  muck  or  leaf-mould  applied  close  about  each  hill. 

In  regard  to  varieties,  the  Red  Dutch,  Cherry,  and  White 
Grape  will  be  found  satisfactory.  Allowing  2,178  bushes 
to  the  acre,  according  to  the  rule  we  used  in  finding  the 
number  of  strawberry-plants  (dividing  43,560  square  feet  by 
the  twenty  square  feet  occupied  by  each  bush),  we  shall  need 
two  hundred  and  seventy  bushes  to  our  eighth  of  an  acre. 
The  result  ought  to  be  something  like  this  :  — 

Dr. 

To  ploughing  and  harrowing $1.00 

"    manure 3.00 

"    tools 1.50 

"    270  bushes,  two  years  old,  at  $35  per  thousand      .        .        .  9.45 

"    ploughing  the  next  spring .75 

Total $15.70 

On  the  other  side :  — 

Cr. 

By  1,580  pounds  of  currants  at  6  cents  per  pound       .        .        .    $94.80 

Leaving  a  net  profit  of  $79.10,  beside  a  fine  lot  of  bushes 
in  full  bearing.  This  is  subject  to  the  expenses  of  picking, 
and,  when  not  sold  near  at  hand,  of  marketing  and  commis- 
sions. 

Raspberries  need  the  same  preparation  of  ground  that  has 
been  described  for  other  small  fruits.     They  are  to  be  set 


SMALL  FRUITS,  —  CURRANTS,  RASPBERRIES,  ETC.      369 

out  in  October,  in  hills  seven  feet  by  two,  giving  3, 1 10  to  the 
acre,  and,  of  course,  375  for  an  eighth  as  much  ground.  For 
the  black-cap,  the  Doolittle  Improved  is  always  excellent : 
for  the  red  raspberry,  the  Turner  and  Cuthbert  are  justly 
favorites.  The  latter  ripens  nearly  two  weeks  later  than  the 
former,  thus  lengthening  the  fruit-season. 

By  planting  these  in  a  hedge,  and  pinching  off  the  tops  in 
the  spring,  when  they  have  reached  the  height  of  three  or 
four  feet,  they  do  not  require  staking.  For  a  girl  to  handle, 
however,  they  are  much  more  convenient  when  planted  in 
rows,  about  five  feet  apart,  giving  only  278  to  our  bed,  and 
tying  them,  near  the  tops,  to  stout  stakes  with  twine  or  wire. 
They  are  still  kept  low,  and  the  canes  thinned  to  about  five 
or  six  in  each  hill,  always  taking  out  the  old  growth  either  in 
March  or  November,  as  the  new  wood  alone  bears  fruit. 

Result  in  ordinary  cases  :  — 

Dr. 

To  ploughing,  manure,  etc $4.00 

"    raspberry-bushes 2.75 

"    stakes,  wire  or  twine,  and  labor  of  setting  and  tying      .        .  5.00 

Total $11.75 

The  profits  are  very  variable,  depending  on  cost  of  pick- 
ing, as  well  as  price  which  the  berries  may  bring  in  the  place. 
We  may  estimate  this,  however,  as  a  bush  in  good  bearing 
ought  to  give  three  quarts  of  berries  at  least. 

Cr. 
By  834  quarts  of  fruit  at  11  cents  per  quart $91*74 

from  which   deduct   the  expenses  of  marketing,  added  to 

$11.75- 

Manurihg  is  not  needed  so  frequently  as  in  strawberries 


370     SMALL  FRUITS,  —  CURRANTS,  RASPBERRIES,  ETC, 

or  currants,  but  the  trimming  and  cutting  must  be  constant 
and  careful. 

Blackberries  are  to  be  treated,  in  general  management, 
like  raspberries.  They  require,  however,  to  be  set  farther 
apart.  Eight  feet  by  two  or  three  is  the  right  distance, 
giving  340  for  the  eighth  of  an  acre.  The  Kittatinny  is  gen- 
erally considered  the  best  of  all.  They  should  be  trimmed, 
and  kept  at  a  height  of  about  four  feet,  and,  when  practi- 
cable, staked  and  tied. 

The  blackberry  thrives  on  poorer  soil  than  any  other  of 
the  small  fruits,  but  shows  good  feeding  by  its  increased 
size  and  juciness.  The  estimates  of  cost  and  gain  will  not 
differ  from  those  made  of  raspberries.  They  are  very  hardy, 
and  easy  to  manage  if  kept  closely  trimmed,  and  continue 
to  flourish  for  many  years. 


CANNED  FRUIT,  JELLV,   AND  PRESERVES.  ^l 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

CANNED   FRUIT,   JELLY,   AND  PRESERVES. 

Our  maiden  who  has  successfully  raised  a  bed  of  small 
fruits  will  desire  to  can  or  preserve  any  excess  of  them, 
either  for  home  use,  or  to  furnish  herself  with  pin-money. 
The  process  is  easily  learned,  and  is  something  in  which  the 
true  housewife  takes  great  pride  and  pleasure. 

To  begin  with,  every  thing  about  the  implements  of  can- 
ning fruit  or  making  jelly  should  be  immaculately  neat,  and 
ready  for  use.  Glass  cans  and  tumblers  should  be  freshly 
scalded,  after  pouring  in  a  little  cold  water,  with  the  elastics 
and  tops  fitted,  and  each  laid  with  its  jar.  Large  wooden 
spoons  should  be  provided,  and  porcelain  kettles  freshly 
scoured.  Use  no  tin,  except  a  quart  cup  for  measuring 
sugar :  in  this  weigh  one  pound  of  it,  and  you  will  always 
know  then  just  how  full  it  needs  to  be.  Weigh  your  kettles 
first  without  fruit,  afterwards  take  that  amount  from  the 
entire  weight.  If  you  begin  with  jelly,  you  will  pick  the  cur- 
rants some  dry  morning  just  as  soon  as  they  ripen  :  if  possi- 
ble, take  the  same  or  twice  the  quantity  of  raspberries,  to 
soften  the  sharp  flavor  of  the  currants.  Stem  the  latter. 
Throw  both  into  your  kettle,  and  boil  till  soft,  breaking  the 
fruit  with  a  spoon  ;  squeeze,  a  quart  at  a  time,  gently  through 
a  crash  bag,  which  must  be  turned  and  rinsed  after  each  fill- 
ing. To  every  pint  of  this  juice  allow  one  pound  of  nice 
white  sugar,  which  spread  out  in  shallow  tin  dishes  on  the 
back  of  the  stove,  or  in  the  open  oven.     This  you  stir  while 


372  CANNED  FRUIT,  JELLY,  AND  PRESERVES. 

it  heats,  at  the  same  time  watching  the  juice,  which  you  have 
put  back  into  a  clean  kettle,  skimming  as  it  heats :  when  this 
has  boiled  just  twenty  minutes,  and  the  sugar  has  grown  very 
hot,  turn  the  last  into  the  juice  quickly,  and  stir  rapidly  to- 
gether. When  the  sugar  has  all  melted,  and  the  compound 
is  just  ready  to  boil,  but  has  not  really  begun,  take  from  the 
fire.  Meanwhile,  on  a  near  table  is  a  large  pan  in  which  are 
your  jars  or  tumblers  filled  with  very  hot  water,  and  sur- 
rounded by  it  also  :  between  this  and  the  jelly-kettle  is  a 
large  plate.  Empty  one  of  your  tumblers,  and  fill  with  the 
hot  liquid  at  once ;  set  on  a  platter  in  the  window,  and  con- 
tinue in  the  same  way.  If  you  have  done  every  step  as 
described,  the  jelly  will  form  as  it  cools.  If  you  prefer, 
Mason's  jars  can  be  used  :  these  may  need  to  stand  open  in 
the  sunshine  a  day  or  two  before  sealing. 

Other  kinds  of  jelly  are  made  by  the  same  process.  The 
juice  of  strawberries,  raspberries,  and  cherries,  is  so  thin  that 
a  package  of  Cooper's  gelatine,  dissolved  in  a  little  cold  juice, 
and  then  added  to  three  quarts  of  it,  will  be  needed  to  give 
consistency.  Apples  and  quinces  can  be  treated  like  other 
fruit,  often  being  cut  up  whole,  so  as  to  retain  the  jelly 
of  the  cores,  and  flavor  of  the  skins.  And,  in  making  jelly  of 
cherries  or  peaches,  crack  a  few  pits  or  kernels,  and  cook  with 
the  fruit  in  order  to  intensify  its  flavor.  Except  for  berries 
which  are  very  juicy,  add  a  small  teacup  of  water  to  a  pound 
of  fruit  when  set  to  boil.  A  teacup  having  a  handle  will 
be  found  convenient  as  a  filler. 

In  all  this  process,  a  little  experience  will  make  our  maiden 
quick,  but  not  hurried,  watchful,  careful,  and  orderly. 

When  the  jelly  is  cool  and  firm,  it  is  to  be  covered  with 
two  thicknesses  of  tissue-paper  the  size  of  the  top  of  the 
jar,  and  over  this  spread  a  layer  of  pulverized  sugar  half  an 
inch  thick.     Then,  by  tying  over  all  a  paper  saturated  with 


CANNED   FRUIT,  JELLY,   AND   PRESERVES.  373 

thin  flour-paste,  it  will  keep  —  unless  filched  by  mice  or 
greedy  fingers. 

In  canning,  the  same  utensils  and  arrangements  are  need- 
ed. Pears,  peaches,  quinces,  and  apples  are  to  be  peeled, 
cored  or  pitted,  and  halved.  The  sugar  measured  must  be 
one-third  to  one-half  the  weight  of  fruit,  according  to  its 
acidity.  This  is  to  be  set  aside,  if  the  fruit  is  hard,  till  the 
latter  has  been  boiled,  with  a  cup  of  water  for  every  pound, 
until  it  begins  to  soften.  Then  add  the  sugar ;  let  it  come  to 
a  boil,  and  take  from  the  fire  after  having  been  gently  stirred. 
In  small  fruits,  the  sugar  may  be  added  at  first ;  but,  where 
fruit  is  already  hard,  that  only  serves  to  toughen  it.  In  case 
it  does  not  need  boiling,  make  a  sirup  for  the  fruit,  allowing 
a  cup  of  water  to  each  pound,  with  the  sugar  :  when  it  comes 
to  a  boil,  add  the  pears  or  quinces,  and  cook  only  till  they 
are  clear,  or  heated  through.  Currants,  grapes  cultivated  and 
wild,  berries  of  all  kinds,  cherries,  and  huckleberries  can  be 
treated  in  the  same  manner.  Plums  must  be  pricked,  or  the 
skins  will  peel  off,  and,  unless  very  sweet,  will  need  half  their 
weight  of  sugar.  By  making  a  sirup  first,  fruit  is  less  liable 
to  break  in  pieces  :  if  this  is  not  dreaded,  it  can  be  cooked  in 
layers  of  the  measured  sugar.  Or  heat  fruit  to  boiling,  and 
then  add  sugar. 

In  canning,  the  object  of  having  every  thing  at  hand  is  to 
allow  no  delay,  as  the  air,  which  causes  decay,  is  repelled  by 
the  heat.  When,  therefore,  the  kettle  is  lifted  to  the  table 
beside  the  jars,  which  are  in  a  pan  or  small  tub  of  hot  water, 
the  fruit  must  be  carefully  put  in,  packing  large  pieces  nicely, 
with  a  silver  spoon,  and  the  sirup  filled  in  till  it  runs  over 
the  top.  Holding  the  jar  with  the  left  hand  by  a  cloth 
wrapped  around  it,  wipe,  fit  on  the  elastic,  and  screw  on 
the  top  tightly  as  possible.  Proceed  till  all  are  filled.  Wipe 
the  cans  dry,  and  tighten  the  tops  as  they  cool.     Keep  in  the 


374  CANNED  FRU/Ty  JELLY,  AND  PRESEVRES. 

dark.  If  every  thing  was  thoroughly  heated,  and  each  jar 
perfectly  filled,  there  will  be  no  danger  of  its  working. 

Fruit  that  is  soft,  or  very  ripe,  makes  excellent  jam,  thus : 
boil  half  an  hour,  or  until  it  is  perfectly  soft  and  well  cooked, 
mashing  with  a  wooden  spoon  ;  add  three-fourths  its  original 
weight  of  sugar,  and  boil  a  half-hour  longer.  If  spiced  cur- 
rants are  desired,  take  the  jam  when  well  done,  and  add  a 
pint  of  sharp  cider-vinegar,  a  tablespoonful  of  cinnamon,  a 
teaspoonful  of  ginger,  and  half  as  much  cayenne  pepper,  to 
every  seven  pounds  of  the  uncooked  fruit. 

Quinces  are  best  relished  in  the  form  of  marmalade.  They 
are  rubbed,  peeled,  cored,  and  boiled  soft.  Into  this  mixture 
is  thrown  the  strained  liquor  in  which  seeds  and  cores  have 
been  steeped  soft,  in  little  more  water  than  covered  them. 
After  rubbing  them  through  a  colander,  they  are  returned 
to  the  kettle,  and  cooked  half  an  hour  in  three-quarters  their 
weight  after  peeling :  if  desired  sweeter,  use  full  weight. 
Keep  in  bowls  or  large-mouthed  jars. 

But  our  maiden  may  wish  to  dispose  of  old-fashioned  pre- 
serves to  some  of  her  matron  friends,  or  to  use  them  occa- 
sionally in  tarts  herself.  In  that  case  she  will  prepare  fruit 
precisely  as  for  canning,  save  that  she  uses  sugar  with  it, 
pound  for  pound.  With  every  four  pounds  of  sugar  make  a 
sirup  by  adding  a  half-pint  of  water  and  the  beaten  white  of 
an  ^gg.  Boil  and  skim.  Put  in  the  fruit  carefully,  and  boil 
from  ten  minutes  to  half  an  hour,  according  to  its  size. 
Strawberries  and  cherries  may  be  strewn  over  night  in  an 
earthen  vessel,  between  layers  of  sugar.  The  drained  juice 
with  its  proportion  of  water  serves  for  sirup.  Large  fruit 
must  be  treated  as  directed  for  canning ;  so,  also,  may  melon 
and  citron  rinds,  cut  into  small  squares  or  fancy  shapes,  and 
cooked  till  translucent.  Flavor  with  a  sliced  lemon  and  an 
ounce  of  fresh  ginger-root  to  each  quart  of  preserve.     Even 


CANNED  FRUIT,  JELLY,  AND  PRESERVES.  375 

plum  tomatoes  are  palatable  by  this  means.  If  a  change  is 
desired,  we  may  convert  any  kind  of  fruit  into  sweet  pickle. 
This  is  done  by  taking  two-thirds  the  weight  in  sugar,  and 
packing  both,  in  alternate  layers,  in  the  kettle,  adding  to 
every  seven  pounds  of  fruit  a  pint  of  sharp  vinegar,  a  table- 
spoonful  of  cinnamon,  and  a  few  cloves.  Let  all  come  to  the 
boiling-point,  then  seal  in  hot  jars.  If  a  thick  sirup  is 
wished,  skim  the  fruit  into  jars,  and  boil  the  liquid  until  it 
is  of  the  required  consistency. 

In  calculating  the  profits  of  jelly-making,  we  see  that  much 
depends  upon  the  juiciness  of  the  fruit  and  the  closeness  with 
which  the  pulp  is  squeezed.  One  pint  of  fruit  and  one  pound 
of  sugar  will  make  about  three-fourths  of  a  quart  of  jelly,  cost- 
ing about  thirty-seven  cents,  or  at  the  rate  of  half  dollar  the 
quart.  To  pay  for  time  and  labor,  it  should  be  sold  for  double 
that  sum,  with  cost  of  jar  added.  Nearly  the  same  estimate 
will  apply  to  preserves,  which  are  usually  put  up  in  cans. 

In  canning  fruit,  nearly  seven  quarts  of  uncooked  fruit 

will  fill  three  jars  when  cooked  and  sweetened,  costing  and 

selling  for  a  little  less.     Here  is  an  approximation  toward 

the  profit. 

Dr. 

To  small  fruits  and  sugar  for  preserves  and  jelly,  per  can     .        .    $  .50 

Cr. 
By  price  of  same $1.00 

Total  profit  per  can $  .50 

Dr. 
To  small  fruits  and  sugar  for  one  quart  can $  -35 

Cr. 
By  price  of  same ,        .    $  .80 

Profit  per  can $  45 

To  the  cost  and  price  of  each  must  be  added  the  cost  of 
the  jar. 


376  THE  REARING   OF  POULTRY, 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

THE   REARING  OF   POULTRY. 

It  is  often  remarked,  that  a  farmer's  wife  will  be  frequently 
more  successful  in  rearing  an  early  lot  of  chickens  than  a 
man  who  has  expended  a  great  deal  of  money  on  his  yards, 
and  prides  himself  on  his  fancy  breeds.  The  poultry  jour- 
nals, too,  are  filled  with  names  of  women  who  are  successful 
competitors  for  honors  or  for  sales  ;  all  showing  that  it  comes 
within  a  woman's  province.  There  is  a  cause  for  this.  It 
interferes  with  no  other  home  duty  ;  while  it  does  require  fre- 
quent attention,  and  this,  women  and  girls  can  give.  There  is 
something  very  appealing,  too,  in  those  little  downy  balls  of  vi- 
vaciousness,  which  makes  the  work  they  bring  very  attractive. 

If  our  young  amateur  desires  the  trial,  she  will  begin  with 
not  more  than  half  a  dozen  sitting  hens,  each  with  her 
thirteen  eggs,  by  the  middle  or  last  of  March,  if  she  has  a 
warm  place  for  them.  The  nests  for  hatching  are  to  be 
boxes  with  ashes  or  dry  earth  at  the  bottom ;  above,  fill  in 
loosely  some  fine  hay,  and  set  in  a  dry,  warm  spot,  with  food 
and  water  always  near.  This  may  be  in  the  barn-cellar,  or 
in  tight  rooms,  or  even  the  house-cellar, — wherever  it  cannot 
freeze,  where  it  is  secluded  and  separate  from  other  fowls. 
If  this  cannot  be,  wait  till  warmer  weather. 

At  the  end  of  the  twenty-first  day,  all  that  can  hatch  have 
picked  their  shells.  At  the  early  season  mentioned,  three- 
quarters  of  the  eggs  are  all  that  can  be  expected  to  give 
chicks :  allowing  for  accidents,  we  may  reasonably  hope  to 


THE  REARING   OF  POULTRY.  377 

have  fifty  at  the  end  of  a  month.  But  it  will  require  a  good 
deal  of  watchfulness  to  carry  them  through  the  changes  of 
that  first  month.  If  we  succeed  even  fairly,  they  will  be 
much  more  valuable  than  later  comers. 

The  coops,  of  course,  are  ready  for  their  occupants.  They 
are  made  quite  tight,  and  so  they  can  be  shut  by  simply 
putting  a  board  in  front.  One  can  be  improvised  by  turning 
a  barrel  or  a  box  on  its  side;  or  can  be  made  with  great 
care  and  all  the  "modern  improvements."  Where  an  old 
glazed  sash  is  at  hand,  construct  a  little  yard  in  front  of  the 
coop,  just  as  large  as  the  sash,  made  of  boards,  with  the  sash 
for  roof.  Underneath  this  skylight  they  will  take  their  ex- 
ercise, keep  warm,  and  thrive  famously.  The  coop  must 
always  be  placed  where  it  is  protected  from  the  wind,  with  a 
frontage  south  or  east,  and  where  it  can  have  the  direct  rays 
of  the  sun  several  hours  daily.  Yard  and  coop  are  both  to 
be  floored,  kept  dry,  and  frequently  cleansed.  From  the 
neglect  of  this  comes  the  greatest  loss  of  chicks.  And  the 
single  rule  by  which  they  thrive  is  this :  keep  them  warm, 
dry,  and  well  fed. 

To  return  to  the  beginning :  they  need  not  be  disturbed 
for  twenty-four  hours  after  hatching.  That  wonderful  nature 
which  developed  the  germ  of  life  into  a  downy,  animated  ball, 
stored  within  it  enough  food  from  the  ^gg  to  last  that  length 
of  time.  After  that,  give  hard-boiled  eggs,  chopped  fine,  four 
or  five  days,  then  cracked  corn  till  they  are  nearly  two  months 
old.  They  should  have  all  they  can  eat,  at  first  six  times  daily, 
then  decrease  the  amount  as  they  grow  older,  and  give  plenty 
of  fresh  water  to  drink.  After  that  age  they  can  digest 
whole  grain,  but  do  not  feed  them  with  soft  food.  Skimmed 
milk  is  always  a  dainty  dish  for  these  voracious  youngsters. 

As  spring  comes,  on  warm  days  let  them  run  on  the 
ground,  and  you  would  hardly  guess  how  many  worms  and 


3/8  THE  REARING   OF  POULTRY. 

insects  those  little  shining  eyes  discover.  When  it  rains, 
keep  them  shut  in.  If  they  draggle  about  in  the  wet,  they 
will  die  with  roup  or  gapes.  Continue  this  treatment  till 
the  hens  have  left  them  to  take  care  of  themselves :  after- 
ward they  will  make  but  little  trouble,  and  can  soon  be  re- 
moved to  yards  with  roosts.  This  may  be  in  open  sheds, 
if  safe,  so  they  may  get  fresh  air :  at  any  rate,  they  must 
have  access  to  the  ground,  and  ventilation. 

If  the  chicken  mistress  is  able  to  control  the  refuse  of  the 
kitchen,  she  will  chop  all  the  scraps  for  her  charges ;  and 
excellent  diet  it  is.  For  the  rest,  they  need  wheat,  screen- 
ings, buckwheat,  oats  or  corn,  frequently  changing  from  one 
to  another. 

When  about  six  months  old  the  pullets  begin  laying. 
The  whole  neighborhood  rings  with  the  news,  and  chanti 
cleer  trumpets  forth  the  astonishing  fact.  Properly  fed,  and 
not  without,  they  will  lay  all  winter.  They  like  boxes  in 
dark,  out-of-the-way  places  for  nests,  and  are  fond  of  hiding 
them  so  securely,  that  they  bring  forth  batches  of  chicks 
before  you  know  what  they  are  about. 

Their  roosting-places  must  be  both  warm  and  well  venti- 
lated ;  the  first  to  be  secured  by  having  their  sheds  or  houses 
tight,  and  protected  from  winds  ;  the  last,  by  having  a  square 
box  or  air-shaft  run  a  little  way  out  of  the  top  of  the  build- 
ing to  take  off  the  foul  air.  The  neglect  of  this  will  breed 
cholera,  or  some  other  fatal  disease.  They  are  likewise  de- 
pendent on  plenty  of  ground  to  scratch  over,  clean  water, 
and  sunshine.  In  winter  never  have  over  forty  in  one  yard. 
Sheds  and  enclosures  may  be  divided,  if  they  are  large,  and 
each  lot  have  its  open  space  for  exercise.  If  too  crowded, 
or  damp,  their  feathered  inhabitants  will  certainly  become 
diseased,  and  liable  to  vermin.  To  prevent  the  last,  every 
bit  of  wood  about  their  yards  needs  to  be  whitewashed  two 
or  three  times  every  year. 


THE  REARING   OF  POULTRY.  379 

To  have  eggs  all  winter,  give  them  a  warm  breakfast,  as 
often  as  possible,  of  boiled  potatoes,  or  boiling-water  mixed 
with  cracked  wheat  or  middlings.  Lime,  too,  must  be  always 
at  hand.  Pounded  or  burnt  oyster-shells  is  an  especial  dainty. 
So  are  scraps  of  fresh  meat  in  winter,  chopped  fine,  and  cab- 
bages, or  any  kind  of  green  food. 

So  many  good  varieties  of  fowl  are  now  reared,  that  it  is 
hardly  possible  to  go  amiss  in  making  a  selection.  Crosses 
of  two  good  strains  make  as  good  layers  as  pure  breeds. 

If  you  are  very  sure  you  can  manage  one,  get  an  incubator, 
and  place  in  the  cellar,  and  begin  to  set  eggs  in  February ; 
this  gives  early  chicks  for  broiling,  which  always  bring  high 
prices.     With  each  incubator  is  a  set  of  directions. 

The  success  of  chicken-raising  will  depend  on  intelligent 
care,  and  on  cost  of  food,  and  price  of  chicks  and  eggs  ;  all  of 
which  are  variable.     Let  us  strike  an  average,  thus,  — 

Price  of  chicks  for  broiling  (until  the  20th  of  June),  each     .        •    $  75 
Food  for  same 25 

Profit  on  each  broiler $    50 

Roasting-fowls  bring  from  sixteen  to  twenty-five  cents  per 
pound,  according  to  the  season.  They  are  fattened  only  by 
giving  them  all  they  can  eat,  three  times  daily.  By  Christ- 
mas they  ought  to  weigh  five  pounds,  which,  at  eighteen  cents 
per  pound,  would  amount  to  ninety  cents ;  subtract  thirty 
cents'  worth  of  food,  and  the  gain  on  each  is  sixty  cents. 

It  is  agreed  that  the  eggs  of  a  hen  are  worth  each  year 
twice  as  much  as  her  food :  near  cities  they  average  more. 
The  account  of  each  fowl,  then,  for  one  year,  is,  — 

One  bushel  of  grain $  75 

Ten  dozen  eggs,  at  twenty  cents  per  dozen 2.00 

Yearly  profit •        .        .    I1.25 


38o      CANARY-BIRDS,    THEIR  REARING  AND    TRAINING. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

CANARY-BIRDS,   THEIR   REARING  AND  TRAINING. 

It  would  be  hard  to  find  a  girl  who  is  not  fond  of  these 
charming  pets,  or  who  does  not  delight  in  caring  for  them. 
Most  of  them  are  procured  from  bird-stores,  where  they  have 
been  imported ;  but  there  is  nothing  so  very  difficult  in  rear- 
ing and  taming  them.  They  are  so  hardy,  docile,  intelligent, 
and  affectionate,  and  their  capacity  for  imitation  is  so  large, 
that  there  is  no  reason  why  they  should  not  be  more  com- 
monly bred  and  trained.  They  are  especially  fitted  for  house- 
pets, —  social,  little  winged  joys,  receiving  and  giving  pleas- 
ure, which  they  express  in  song. 

Originally  from  the  Canary  Isles,  they  have  won  their  way 
to  every  land.  We  find  them  of  many  varieties,  according 
to  color  and  size.  But  we  will  pay  no  attention  to  the  names 
Jonquil,  Mealy,  and  Cinnamon,  but  simply  look  for  healthy 
birds  and  good  singers.  We  will  even  look  farther  than  this, 
—  for  the  capacity  of  being  tamed.  To  have  a  little  bright 
bit  of  bird-life  nestling  to  sleep  on  one's  shoulder,  or  feeding 
from  one's  lips,  is  better  than  to  have  its  song  alone. 

The  long  and  short  birds  paired  produce  the  best  young. 
But  we  wish  first  to  have  our  birds  for  some  time,  and  be- 
come familiar  with  their  ways.  The  ordinary  wire  cage  is 
too  common  an  article  to  need  description.  It  should  be 
kept  scrupulously  clean  by  frequent  scaldings,  and  the  brown 
paper  and  gravel  at  the  bottom  be  changed  daily.  Or  you 
may  buy  gravelled  paper  at  bird-stores.     See  that  the  bird 


CANARY-BIRDS,    THEIR  REARING  AND   TRAINING.      38 1 

has  fresh  water  every  morning  (in  summer  twice  a  day  is 
best),  also  that  its  seed-cup  is  always  filled,  and  water-bath 
at  hand.  If  this  is  done  as  soon  as  breakfast  is  over,  the 
songster  will  come  to  look  for  attendance  regiUarly.  The 
daily  food  should  be  two-thirds  canary-seed  with  a  third  of 
rape-seed,  a  little  sugar  occasionally  as  a  reward  while  you 
are  taming  it,  a  piece  of  stale  bread  twice  a  week,  and  once 
in  a  while  a  bit  of  sweet  apple,  a  salad-leaf,  chickweed,  or 
celery-top.  To  give  it  rich  cake  or  cooked  food  is  to  insure 
an  early  death.  A  piece  of  a  hard-boiled  ^g%y  or  a  baked 
potato,  is  relished  as  a  tidbit,  and  can  do  no  harm.  But  the 
plainer  they  live  the  better.  They  digest  quickly,  and  so  eat 
often.  S^e  that  mice  cannot  get  to  the  seed :  a  glass  jar 
with  cover  is  its  safest  receptacle. 

They  may  be  paired  early  in  March,  but  first  hang  the 
birds  near  each  other,  in  separate  cages.  It  is  best  to  have 
both  of  good  strong  strains,  not  related,  and  not  of  the  same 
color.  The  breeding-cage  ought  to  be  larger  than  their  usual 
homes,  if  possible  with  a  sliding-board  over  the  bottom. 
After  the  whole  is  thoroughly  scalded,  to  keep  out  vermin, 
this  may  be  thickly  spread  with  gravel,  and  the  birds  intro- 
duced to  their  future  domicile,  which  is  to  be  securely  placed 
in  some  quiet  room  where  the  sun  shines,  and  out  of  strong 
currents  of  air.  An  even  but  not  very  warm  temperature 
is  desirable. 

Having  done  all  this,  your  couple  may  continue  to  insist 
upon  quarrelling:  if  so,  you  have  only  to  "try,  try  again," 
each  with  another  mate.  When  they  do  settle  down  to 
housekeeping,  you  will  observe  their  mutual  affectionate 
attentions,  and  domestic  chatterings. 

Then  you  must  introduce  the  nest  (of  woven  wire,  from 
the  bird-stores),  which  ought  to  be  securely  fastened  in  one 
corner,  and  shaded  by  a  cloth  or  paper,  after  having  been  lined 


382      CANARY-BIRDS,    THEIR  REARING  AND    TRAINING. 

with  cotton-flannel.  If  successful,  in  a  few  days  you  will 
find  a  tiny  ^g'g,  sea-green  in  color,  at  the  bottom,  and  then 
another,  till  five  or  six  have  been  laid.  The  male  is  usually 
very  attentive  to  his  wife,  and  their  domestic  life  is  often 
lovely  to  behold.  As  she  broods  the  eggs,  he  feeds  her, 
meanwhile  chirping  low  and  sweet.  All  this  time  they  need 
a  little  hemp-seed,  and  crushed  boiled  ^gg,  in  addition  to 
their  usual  food. 

On  the  fourteenth  day  the  young  pick  their  shells,  and  the 
anxiety  of  their  parents  is  very  manifest.  A  saucer  of  stale 
grated  bread,  mixed  with  crushed  rape-seed  and  the  yolk  of 
hard-boiled  ^gg,  moistened  with  water,  and  always  fresh,  is 
now  to  be  kept  where  the  little  ones  can  be  continually  fed. 
The  male  does  his  duty  like  a  man,  and  is  eager  to  give  his 
wife  and  little  ones  all  they  can  swallow.  These  grow  as 
fast  as  they  eat ;  and,  when  a  month  old,  the  parents  will  rear 
another  brood,  if  their  young  are  removed  to  a  smaller  cage  ; 
and  still  another,  after  the  second  brood. 

These  little  ones  have  been  taught  to  eat,  drink,  wash,  and 
sing ;  and  now  we  can  begin  to  tame  them.  We  will  com- 
mence by  extreme  gentleness  and  slowness  in  all  our  move- 
ments about  their  cage,  by  talking  to  them,  and  accustoming 
them  to  our  presence.  After  they  once  get  the  taste  of 
sugar,  hold  a  lump  in  your  fingers  between  the  wires,  gently 
talking  to  them  meanwhile.  If  you  have  the  hard  heart  to 
do  so,  starve  them  an  hour  at  a  time,  and  then  hold  out  seed 
and  sugar.  There  must  be  no  quick,  jerky  movements,  and 
no  attempt  to  catch  the  nervous  little  creature,  or  it  will  lose 
confidence  in  you,  and  become  wilder  than  before.  With 
perseverance,  and  a  quiet  watchfulness  of  the  temper  and 
spirit  of  the  bird,  you  can  establish  in  a  short  time  a  genu- 
ine comradeship ;  so  that  it  will  know  your  voice,  chirp  a  low, 
loving  welcome  when  you  come,  and  even  fly  to  meet  you  at 


CANARY-BIRDS,    THEIR  REARING  AND    TRAINING,      383 

the  door.  It  will  plume  its  feathers,  and  go  to  sleep  upon 
your  shoulder,  drink  from  your  spoon,  and  be  in  all  ways  the 
dearest  of  pets,  even  learning  to  perform  any  number  of  tricks 
which  your  ingenuity  can  invent,  or  its  quick  wit  devise. 

If  a  bird  of  mature  growth  comes  into  your  hands,  a  longer 
course  of  similar  treatment  will  eventually  win  its  confi- 
dence. The  starving  system  may  be  necessary,  or  even  a 
small  drop  of  oil  of  anise  applied  to  the  nostril,  which  stu- 
pefies the  canary,  and  softens  its  wildness,  without  harm. 
When  tame,  they  may  be  allowed  the  freedom  of  the  house, 
excepting  during  the  pairing-season. 

Canaries  are  liable  to  few  diseases  :  if  attacked,  but  little 
can  be  done,  save  to  keep  them  warm,  and  feed  simply.  The 
moulting-season  is  their  most  dangerous  period.  Give  a 
variety  of  food.  Put  a  bit  of  saffron,  or  a  piece  of  rusty 
iron,  in  the  drinking-cup.  After  the  young  bird  has  passed 
its  first  moulting-season,  begin  to  train  it  gradually.  There 
is  no  end  to  the  number  of  things  it  may  be  taught.  It 
will  swing  on  your  finger  or  a  fork,  clasping  the  tines  with 
its  claws ;  will  ride  "  up  -  stairs,  down  stairs,  and  in  my 
lady's  chamber,"  perched  on  your  finger  or  shoulder;  and, 
in  fact,  will  itself  undertake  new  tricks  of  its  own.  They 
make  the  most  satisfactory  addition  you  can  desire  to  a  win- 
dow filled  with  plants  in  winter,  singing  their  happiness  at  the 
noble  forests  in  which  they  are  free  to  wander.  Once  in  the 
possession  of  such  an  exhaustless  source  of  delight,  you 
will  never  again  consent  to  keep  a  wild  bird.  If  you  can 
then  bring  yourself  to  part  with  your  winsom-:;,  coquettish 
birdlings,  they  will  command  from  five  to  ten  dollars  each 
from  private  buyers  in  any  city. 


384  THE  HONEY-BEE 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

THE  HONEY-BEE. 

No  avocation  for  girls  requires  so  much  skill  and  coolness, 
excites  so  much  enthusiasm,  or  produces  such  admirable  re- 
sults, as  the  charge  of  honey-bees.  It  demands  a  clear  head, 
courage,  steadiness,  and  forethought  during  a  small  portion 
of  the  year.  Yet  young  women  have,  within  a  few  years, 
been  very  successful  in  this  industry. 

If  our  maiden  decides  to  attempt  this  pursuit,  she  must 
first  study  thoroughly  the  habits  of  this  remarkable  insect, 
and  as  early  as  March  procure,  say,  two  hives  as  a  beginning 
of  the  pattern  called  the  "  Simplicity  hive."  This  is  a  simple 
box,  having  movable  frames  within.  On  peeping  under  the 
cover,  we  see  bees  clustered  in  a  bunch  on  the  comb  in 
the  centre,  quiet,  and  almost  torpid.  There  they  spend  the 
cold  months,  keeping  warm  by  their  bodily  heat,  and  doubt- 
less dreaming  of  their  beloved  sunshine  and  flowers. 

The  close  observations  of  bee-lovers  have  found,  that  in 
every  colony  there  is  one  reigning  queen,  mother  of  all  the 
race  of  bees,  so  numerous  and  so  short-lived.  There  are 
in  a  hive  from  fifteen  thousand  to  twenty  thousand  at  least, 
and  their  little  lives  never  extend  over  seven  months ;  dur- 
ing working-season,  not  over  thirty  or  fifty  days.  The  hive 
contains  but  one  queen.  She  is  a  long,  handsome  insect, 
never  leaving  the  hive  but  once,  and  that  just  before  she 
begins  laying,  when  about  five  days  old.  From  that  time 
till  her  death,  she  industriously  lays   her  little  eggs,  not 


THE  HONEY-BEE.  385 

much  larger  than  the  point  of  a  pin,  each  in  the  centre  of 
the  prepared  brood-cell.  Some  of  these  cells  are  larger  than 
others.  Those  are  called  drone-cells ;  and  the  bees  from  them 
are  drones,  which  have  not  tongues  long  enough  to  gather 
honey,  but  are  simply  gentlemen  of  leisure.  They  are  larger 
than  the  workers,  and  look  like  a  large  fly.  In  the  fall  they 
are  always  killed  off  by  the  working-bees :  so  there  are  none 
till  the  queen  has  laid  in  the  spring.  It  is  an  object  of  the 
bee-keeper  not  to  have  too  many  of  them  :  so  he  only  lets  a 
little  drone-comb  stay  in  the  hive.  The  smaller  worker-cells 
are  much  more  numerous. 

The  eggs  hatch  in  three  days  after  they  are  laid,  giving 
very  small  white  worms,  which  are  fed  by  the  young  bees, 
and  grow  very  rapidly ;  so  that  in  seven  days  they  nearly  fill 
their  cells.  Then  they  are  sealed  over  with  wax  to  undergo 
a  wonderful  change.  At  the  end  of  eleven  days  the  young 
worker-bee  gnaws  open  his  prison-lid,  and  for  a  few  days 
spends  his  time  in  eating,  and  feeding  the  younger  brood 
of  larvae,  as  these  worms  are  named.  The  drones  remain 
sealed  three  days  longer. 

The  process  of  queen-rearing  is  very  curious.  The  larvae 
for  intended  sovereigns  are  fed  with  a  substance  especially 
prepared,  called  "royal  jelly."  Its  cell  is  enlarged  to  the 
size  of  a  peanut,  which  it  closely  resembles.  It  is  sealed  in 
the  manner  described,  but  hatches  in  six  days.  A  queen-cell, 
however,  is  never  started,  unless  the  hive  is  so  full  that  the 
bees  desire  to  send  out  a  new  colony,  or  the  queen  shows 
signs  of  failing  vigor,  or  is  accidentally  destroyed.  In  that 
case,  if  the  little  fellows  have  eggs  on  hand,  they  are  all  right. 
They  make  several  queen-cells  at  once,  so  as  to  be  sure  to  have 
one,  at  least,  feed  the  larvae  on  royal  jelly,  and  are  rewarded 
by  one  or  more  young  sovereigns,  the  eldest  of  whom  tries  to 
destroy  the  others.     If  they  are  not  needed,  she  succeeds. 


386  THE  HONEY-BEE. 

Meanwhile  the  working-bees  do  all  the  work.  They  build 
comb  (dozens  of  them  working  on  one  cell  at  a  time),  collect 
pollen  and  honey,  keep  the  hive  clean,  take  care  of  the 
cells,  and  protect  the  queen.  Every  bit  of  refuse  and  all 
dead  bees,  they  drag  from  the  hive.  Always  active,  their 
energy  and  industry  quicken  with  the  increase  of  flowers, 
until  they  seem  fairly  wild  with  the  excess  of  sweets,  and 
tumble  over  each  other  in  their  hurry  to  go  and  come  laden 
with  their  stores.  In  fact,  they  are  masters  of  the  situa- 
tion, and  govern  the  hive. 

During  the  first  two  months  of  spring  they  are  incessantly 
at  work,  gathering  pollen  and  honey  in  order  to  stimulate 
breeding,  and  increase  the  number  of  workers.  When  they 
get  full  to  overflowing,  they  start  queen-cells,  .which  they 
prevent  the  old  queen  from  destroying,  and  force  her  to 
leave  the  hive  with  a  lot  of  followers.  This  is  called  ''swarm- 
ing." Some  bee-keepers  have  a  method  of  dividing  bees 
when  the  hive  is  full,  styled  "artificial  swarming."  They  put 
part  of  the  bees  in  a  new  hive,  and  give  them  a  queen-cell, 
or  a  young  queen.  Others  allow  them  to  swarm  at  least 
once,  keeping  back  further  swarming  by  cutting  out  queen - 
cells  when  formed,  and  by  extracting  their  honey.  This  is 
one  of  many  reasons  why  the  old  box-hives  are  no  longer 
used,  but  hives  with  movable  frames  adopted.  These  enable 
the  apiarist  to  handle  his  bees  as  he  pleases,  to  examine  their 
work,  and  judge  of  their  condition.  A  wonderful  impetus  has 
also  been  made  in  the  invention  of  a  machine  which  takes 
a  cake  of  wax,  stamps  it  out  thin,  and  marks  its  surface  with 
just  the  shape  and  size  of  a  honeycomb.  This  "foundation  " 
is  then  fastened  into  frames  hung  in  the  hives  ;  and  the  insects 
draw  out  from  it,  and  build  it  up  into  perfect  cells.  By  this 
means  they  are  saved  much  labor,  as  they  can  make  twenty- 
five  pounds  of  honey  in  the  time  it  would  require  to  make 
one  pound  of  wax. 


THE  HONEY-BEE.  387 

In  June,  the  swarming-season,  our  maiden  is  prepared  with 
empty  hives,  each  containing  six  frames  of  comb-foundation, 
into  which  is  put  the  new  swarm. 

In  two  or  three  days,  on  examination,  these  frames  will  be 
found  built  up  full  of  comb,  when  the  hive  must  be  filled  with 
others.  It  will  then  go  on  its  peaceful  way  during  the  rest 
of  the  summer. 

But  our  young  amateur  will  first  need  some  experienced 
person  to  assist  at  the  critical  period  of  swarming.  The 
seceders  issue  forth  with  a  great  roar  and  commotion,  and 
soon  alight  on  some  shrub  or  tree,  where  they  hang  like  a 
great  wasp-nest.  The  queen  is  always  carefully  cherished 
and  protected,  and  they  never  leave  the  parent  hive  without 
her.  Having  filled  themselves  with  honey  before  leaving, 
they  are  good-natured,  and  can  be  handled  without  fear. 
Generally  the  new  hive  can  be  placed  under  the  clustered 
bees,  which  are  to  be  gently  brushed  into  it,  and  the  hive 
carried  to  its  permanent  stand. 

In  a  short  time  the  parent  hive  rapidly  increases  its  occu- 
pants, after  which  the  apiarist  puts  on  a  second  story,  filled 
with  small  boxes  called  "section-boxes,"  each  having  fas- 
tened within  a  piece  of  foundation  termed  "the  starter." 
This  induces  the  bees  to  go  readily  to  work.  As  these  are 
filled  and  sealed  up,  they  are  taken  out,  and  replaced  by 
others.     In  this  way  comb-honey  is  produced. 

Honey  contained  in  the  broad  chamber  (the  main  part  of 
the  hive)  is  taken  from  the  comb  by  a  machine  called  the 
"extractor,"  at  the  pleasure  of  the  apiarist,  and  the  comb, 
undisturbed  in  its  frame,  returned  to  the  hive. 

Early  in  October  preparations  should  be  made  for  winter- 
ing. Each  hive  ought  to  contain  at  least  twenty-five  pounds 
of  honey  for  food  during  the  cold  months,  and  a  good  stock 
of  September-hatched  bees.     Hives  constructed  as  described 


388  THE  HONEY-BEE. 

need  more  protection  than  those  made  by  the  old  method. 
The  experience  of  the  most  skilful  apiarists  has  decided,  that, 
in  the  latitude  of  Philadelphia  and  New  York,  the  best  way 
is  to  enclose  them  on  their  summer  stands  with  outside  boxes, 
and  fill  in  the  two-inch  spaces  on  all  sides  with  sawdust  or 
chaff.  The  tops,  also,  have  chaff-cushions  for  covers ;  and 
water-tight  wooden  roofs  crown  the  whole,  while  the  entrances 
are  kept  open,  but  reduced  in  size. 

This  protection  is  not  removed  until  settled  warm  weather. 
Heat  is  necessary  to  the  rearing  of  the  brood,  and  working 
of  the  comb :  indeed,  these  tropical  little  creatures  are  true 
sun-worshippers,  and  very  sensitive  to  cold. 

Their  first  spring-work  is  gathering  pollen,  from  the  soft 
maple  and  willow,  for  their  young,  which,  in  a  strong  hive, 
are  hatched  every  month,  more  or  less  ;  a  good  queen  some- 
times laying  the  extraordinary  number  of  three  thousand 
eggs  per  day.  Small  as  these  interesting  little  insects  are, 
in  spite  of  their  numbers,  it  is  wonderful  how  much  of  the 
distilled  juices  of  flowers  they  are  able  to  secure.  The  yield 
of  honey  from  each  hive,  under  the  care  of  able  bee-keepers, 
is  estimated  to  average  one  hundred  pounds  :  more  than  five 
times  that  amount  is  sometimes  recorded.  The  beautiful 
Italian  bee,  with  its  dress  of  gold  and  brown,  and  its  quiet 
habits,  is  of  all  others  most  easily  managed. 

After  all,  the  success  of  the  apiarist  consists  in  doing  the 
right  things  at  the  right  time  as  well  as  in  season,  in  being 
tranquil,  and  working  with  the  utmost  gentleness.  Under 
this  care,  bees  rarely  sting. 

A  hive  of  Italian  bees  can  be  bought  for  ten  dollars.  The 
implements  necessary  can  be  obtained  at  numerous  manufac- 
tories, prices  varying  according  to  the  extent  of  outfit :  to 
begin  with,  they  will  equal  the  cost  of  the  hive.  During  the 
last  few  years  the  greatest  improvements  have  been  made 


THE  HONEY-BEE.  389 

in  every  thing  connected  with  the  apiary,  as  increased  knowl- 
edge of  the  habits  of  this  exquisitely  endowed  insect  has  been 
obtained. 

It  is  a  great  and  growing  industry,  which  depends  upon 
the  bee  as  a  storer  of  sweets ;  and  no  brief  chapters  can  do 
more  than  indicate  its  fascination,  by  glancing  at  its  more 
important  features.  It  has  already  a  vast  literature  and  a 
wide  following,  among  whom,  it  is  pleasant  to  record,  are 
many  women. 

Average  profits  of  bee-keeping. 

Dr. 
To  one  hive  of  Italian  bees $10.00 

Cr. 

By  100  lbs.  of  extracted  and  comb  honey,  averaging  .20  per  lb.  .  $20.00 
Profit  on  one  hive $10.00 

From  this  must  be  taken  a  proportion  of  the  expenses 
advanced  at  the  beginning.  These  are  implements,  such  as 
a  bee-veil,  gloves,  smoker,  honey-knife,  etc.,  in  all,  about  five 
dollars  ;  also  a  honey-extractor,  a  most  curious  and  conven- 
ient invention,  by  which  the  comb  is  returned  to  the  hive  to 
be  used  again.  This  can  be  procured  for  eight  dollars.  Then 
there  is  a  house  or  shed  in  which  these  tools  are  stored,  and 
work  done  f'^r  and  with  frames  and  hives. 


390  SILK-CULTURE. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

SILK-CULTURE. 

Since  two  thousand  years  before  Christ,  when  the  empress 
of  China  discovered  the  mode  of  rearing  silkworms,  reeling 
silk,  and  weaving  it  into  a  soft  and  beautiful  fabric,  these 
industries  have  given  occupation  to  multitudes  of  women 
and  girls.  Over  two  hundred  years  ago  King  James  the 
First  of  England  sent  over  to  Virginia  the  first  silkworm- 
eggs  which  America  ever  contained,  together  with  the  mul- 
berry-tree, the  natural  food  of  the  worm  ;  but  after  the  year 
1760  little  attention  was  paid  to  them  until  about  fifty  years 
ago.  Interest  then  declined,  until  within  a  very  few  years. 
But  it  is  not  likely  to  decrease  so  long  as  silk  is  used  for  a 
variety  of  purposes  ;  and  that  made  in  America  proves  to  be 
superior,  in  many  respects,  to  the  imported  fabric. 

The  first  step  toward  silk-culture  is  the  planting  of  the 
mulberry-tree  for  the  food  of  the  worm.  The  osage  orange 
can  be  used,  but  the  white  mulberry  is  the  best  where  food 
must  be  planted.  These  are  raised  from  seeds  and  cuttings, 
as  well  as  from  roots,  which  can  be  set  out  either  in  spring 
or  autumn. 

When  the  leaf-buds  of  the  mulberry  begin  to  unfold  in  the 
spring,  we  are  ready  for  the  eggs,  which  can  be  procured  at 
the  office  of  any  silk  association  in  the  country.  The  mother- 
moth  laid  them  late  in  winter ;  and  they  have  been  kept  dry, 
hung  up  in  woollen  cloths.  The  room  devoted  to  them  is 
warm  and  dry,  and  filled  on  the  sides  with  long  frames, 


SILK-CULTURE.  391 

holding  racks  four  feet  wide,  and  bordered,  to  keep  the  worms 
from  falling  to  the  floor.  These  are  lined  with  paper,  on 
which  the  eggs  rest.  On  the  fifth  day  these  tiny  things, 
about  the  size  of  a  mustard-seed,  hatch ;  and  the  larvae  go 
hungrily  to  work  on  chopped  mulberry-leaves.  They  stop  to 
rest  only  four  times,  —  during  their  moulting-seasons,  which 
divide  life  into  five  distinct  periods,  —  on  the  fifth,  eighth, 
thirteenth,  and  twenty-first  day  after  making  their  appear- 
ance. During  this  time  they  are  yellowish-white,  naked 
caterpillars,  and,  when  fully  mature,  three  inches  long.  They 
eat  from  six  to  eight  times  daily,  devouring  in  their  brief 
existence  one  hundred  times  their  weight  of  food.  During 
the  last  ten  days  of  larvae  life,  the  gum  gathers  in  the  bag 
in  the  under  jaw,  they  grow  quiet,  eat  less,  and  make  ready 
to  wind  themselves  in  silken  robes,  and  go  to  sleep  to  await 
resurrection  in  another  form. 

This  period  of  apparent  death,  but  real  pause,  while  the 
insect  gathers  up  its  forces  to  undergo  a  change  to  a  higher 
existence,  is  only  about  thirty-five  days  after  the  worm 
first  appeared ;  and  it  takes  about  fifteen  more  before  we 
behold  the  result  of  transformation,  if  we  do  not  arrest 
the  process.  But  how  does  it  go  to  work  to  spin  its  winding- 
sheet  } 

We  strew  the  rack  with  twigs,  or  bits  of  rolled  paper,  and 
wait  to  see.  Out  of  an  opening  in  the  under  lip  the  silk- 
bag  sends  forth  its  liquid  gum,  from  which  two  delicate 
threads  are  drawn,  and  attached  to  convenient  supports. 
Bending  the  neck  up  and  down  and  from  side  to  side,  they 
first  weave  an  outer  covering  of  floss-silk,  and  back  and 
forth,  within  that,  finer,  stronger  strands,  till  every  part  is 
covered.  Within  these  layers  is  still  another  and  finer, 
firmly  glued  each  to  each.  One  thousand  yards  of  silk  of 
hairlike  fineness  are  spun  by  the  curious  creature,  out  of  the 


39a  SILK-CULTURE. 

little  gland  which  secreted  its  juices  from  the  green  leaves 
that  gave  no  evidence  of  any  such  substance. 

The  yellow  cocoon  is  then  about  the  size  of  a  peanut, 
over  an  inch  long,  and  so  light  that  two  hundred  and  fifty 
of  them  weigh  only  a  pound.  If  kept  warm,  the  chrysalis 
bursts  its  prison-cells  in  sixteen  days,  grown  into  a  perfect 
moth,  ready  to  lay  its  eggs,  and  live  its  singular  round  of 
life. 

But  the  watchful  guardian  cannot  allow  this  destruction  of 
the  cocoon.  She  throws  it  into  hot  water  with  its  fellows, 
by  which  means  the  worm  is  killed.  They  are  now  ready  to 
ship  to  dealers  or  manufactories,  where  they  are  reeled  by 
experts,  and  the  silk  prepared  for  dyeing  and  weaving 

While  silk-culture  is  yet  in  its  infancy  in  this  country, 
there  is  little  doubt  of  its  importance,  as  a  source  of  income 
on  a  small  scale,  to  girls  at  home.  Attention  is  needed  only 
during  warm  weather,  and  even  little  children  can  feed  the 
silkworms.  The  cost  and  profit  of  rearing  them  depend  on 
so  many  things,  that  it  is  difficult  to  give  any  general  esti- 
mate. The  Woman's  Silk-Culture  Association  of  the  United 
States,  with  an  office  on  Chestnut  Street,  Philadelphia,  under- 
takes to  furnish  all  supplies,  and  buy  cocoons  or  reeled  silk 
from  producers.     Here  is  their  scale  of  prices :  — 

Dr. 
To  loo  mulberry-trees  (from  two  to  four  feet  high),  sufficient  to 

plant  an  acre  of  ground $8.00 

Twenty-six  ounces  of  eggs,  at  $5  per  ounce       ....      130.00 

Total $138.00 

These  ought  to  yield  about  937  pounds  of  cocoons,  at 
%\  per  pound,  amounting  to  $937. 

But  the  ;J798  remaining  is  by  no  means  clear  profit,  The 
simple  cost  of  eggs  and  trees  is  vastly  increased  by  the  care 


SILK-CULTURE.  393 

of  the  trees,  and  the  cultivation  of  the  land,  which  they 
greatly  exhaust,  to  say  nothing  of  picking  the  leaves,  and 
feeding  the  tender  larvae  before  the  cocoons  are  spun.  There 
is  also  a  large  room  or  shed  to  prepare  and  heat,  and  the 
expenses  of  racks  and  frames.  Taking  all  things  into  con- 
sideration, we  can  readily  conclude  that  none  of  our  girls 
will  be  able  to  grow  rich  from  the  culture  of  the  silkworm, 
although  a  fair  renumeration  may  be  expected. 


394  FLORICULTURE, 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

FLORICULTURE. 

Floriculture  is  the  most  charming  of  all  those  out-of- 
door  amusements  to  which  American  girls  are  more  and 
more  devoted.  Here,  as  well  as  in  the  drawing-room,  is 
opportunity  for  artistic  culture ;  and  this  has  direct  stimulus 
from  the  inspiration  of  Nature  herself.  No  well-balanced 
young  woman  will  consent  to  forego  having  her  own  little 
plot  of  ground  in  summer,  and  window-garden  in  winter,  on 
which  to  essay  her  skill.  She  will  dress  suitably  for  her 
work,  —  in  stout  material,  made  with  loosely  belted  waist,  and 
plain  skirt  not  falling  below  the  ankles,  thick-soled  boots, 
old  gloves,  and  a  garden-hat.  She  is  then  fitted  to  take  her 
light  garden  spade,  hoe,  and  trowel,  and  wield  them  as  easily 
as  dumb-bells,  though  with  the  hope  of  a  more  tangible 
reward. 

It  is  in  April,  and  the  ground  has  been  well  spaded  and 
manured,  whether  it  be  a  small  plot  under  the  windows  of  a 
village  or  city  house,  or  on  the  lawn  of  a  larger  country  home. 
The  soil  has  been  mingled  with  leaf-mould  and  old  manure, 
and  thoroughly  pulverized.  She  is  about  to  sow  a  few  seeds 
of  the  hardier  flowers  in  the  open  air,  or  to  arrange  her 
grounds  for  early  planting.  Happily,  the  old,  stiff,  formal 
geometrical  beds  of  our  grandmothers  are  things  of  the  past ; 
and  as  much  greater  latitude  is  permissible  in  the  fashion  of 
flower-arrangement  as  in  dress.  Our  maiden,  therefore,  will 
display  the  refinement  of  her  eye  in  the  selection  of  plants 


FLORICULTURE.  395 

that  are  to  grow  side  by  side.  For  instance,  she  will  not 
plant  her  crimson-purple  petunias  beside  her  scarlet  gera- 
niums. 

Of  course  she  has  some  of  last  year's  plants  in  the  cellar, 
such  as  geraniums,  roses,  carnations,  fuchsias,  and  arbutilons, 
to  bring  out  to  the  light.  They  had  been  planted  thickly  in 
shallow  boxes  in  the  fall,  closely  trimmed,  and  kept  on  the 
piazza  till  near  frost.  Having  slept  through  the  long  night 
of  winter,  they  are  ready  to  open  their  eyes  in  the  spring 
sunshine.  Her  window-garden,  too,  is  ready  to  empty  its 
contents  out  of  doors.  But  we  must  not  haste,  for  only  the 
hardiest  plants  are  safe  before  the  middle  of  May.  And  we 
will  beware  of  having  too  many  varieties.  A  few  kinds  well 
planted  and  tended,  in  masses,  are  much  more  satisfactory 
to  the  eye  than  mixed  beds,  making  blotches  of  color.  Then, 
again,  delicate  shades  of  blue  or  yellow  may  be  grouped  in 
contrast  with  deep,  rich  tones  of  scarlet  or  crimson  ;  but  they 
must  be  judiciously  managed. 

So,  also,  must  be  the  size  and  shape  of  the  beds  themselves, 
depending  on  the  size  of  the  lawn  or  garden,  and  their  dis- 
tance from  the  house.  Flowers  near  the  windows  may  rea- 
sonably be  smaller  and  finer  than  those  to  be  seen  from  a 
distance.  The  mignonette  and  alyssum  would  be  useless 
two  hundred  feet  away  ;  while  even  old-fashioned  hollyhocks, 
grouped  in  masses,  are  very  decorative  in  effect  if  planted 
against  a  background  of  evergreen  at  a  sufficient  distance. 
The  harmonies  of  form  and  color  must  be  studied  to  give 
effective  richness  to  the  scene. 

It  is  not  best  for  our  young  amateur  to  begin  the  ribbon 
or  carpet  style  of  flower-bed,  which  requires  a  perfect  knowl- 
edge of  tint,  habit  of  growth,  and  mode  of  treatment.  She 
will,  instead  of  this,  make  a  few  beds  of  annuals  and  peren- 
nials, and  set  some  herbaceous  plants,  which  require  less 
attention  still. 


39^  FLORICULTURE. 

Here  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  most  desirable  plants  for 
bedding  (the  first  thirteen  are  low,  and  may  be  near  the 
house),  —  pansy,  alyssum,  aster,  verbena,  phlox  Drummondii, 
portulaca,  balsam,  petunia,  heliotrope,  ageratum,  coreopsis, 
gilly-flower,  dianthus,  nasturtium,  escholtzia,  and  salvia. 
Many  of  these  are  to  be  found  double,  but  they  are  not  so 
interesting  as  the  single  blossoms.  By  procuring  the  seeds 
at  any  reliable  store,  we  can  learn,  from  the  printed  direc- 
tions on  the  paper,  just  when  to  sow  them,  though  much 
depends  on  an  early  or  a  late  spring ;  and  some  of  them,  like 
the  various  pinks  and  the  pansy,  may  be  sown  in  the  open 
ground  the  preceding  September,  and,  when  large  enough, 
transplanted  to  beds  prepared  for  them,  and  made  very  rich. 
It  is  not  generally  known  ;  but  the  exquisite  pansy  can  be 
kept  in  beautiful  bloom  for  six  years  by  gradually  cutting  off 
the  old  stalks,  after  the  flowers  begin  to  fade,  leaving  only 
about  two  inches  above  the  ground.  These  will  send  out 
new  shoots,  so  as  to  make  almost  constant  blossoms.  Like 
all  other  perennials,  they  should  be  covered  lightly  with  leaves 
or  straw  kept  in  place  by  brush  during  the  winter. 

If  seed  are  to  be  sown  in  open  ground,  after  the  surface 
is  prepared  smooth  and  very  fine  by  the  rake  following  the 
spade,  scatter  the  germs  with  a  light  and  even  motion  of 
the  hand.  Follow  with  a  delicate  sprinkling  of  earth,  when 
the  seeds  are  small,  increasing  the  thickness  with  their  size, 
to  an  inch  for  the  largest.  But,  if  you  can,  start  them  in 
shallow  boxes  in  a  half-warmed  room,  perhaps  in  a  corner  of 
the  kitchen,  where  they  can  get  light  and  air.  These  boxes 
jire  filled  with  the  finest  earth  or  leaf-mould  mixed  with  sand, 
ind  there  are  crevices  at  the  bottom  for  the  surplus  water  to 
escape.  Here  the  tiniest  seeds  will  quickly  germinate,  and, 
as  they  are  sown  very  thickly,  must  be  transplanted  into  pots 
or  the  open  ground  in  a  month  :  afterward  the  weak  ones  are 


FlOtiTCVLTURB.  397 

to  be  remorselessly  thinned,  leaving  only  one  «t:alk  in  a  place. 
This  is  a  nice  operation,  suiting  dainty  fingers. 

In  planting  out,  we  must  remember  that  certain  flowers 
flourish  best  in  the  sba'^e,  though  all  require  a  little  sun- 
shine. These  delicate  Diaixts  are  pansies,  fuchsias,  lilies-of- 
the-valley,  violets,  lobelia^,  phlox.  The  hardier  herbaceous 
blooms  may  be  set  without  reference  to  shade ,  and  foliage- 
plants,  like  the  coleus,  fairly  revel  in  the  sunshine. 

As  our  experience  increases,  we  shall  find  that  annuals 
make  a  great  deal  of  work,  though  many  are  very  beautiful. 
Here  is  a  list  of  the  most  desirable,  —  aster,  balsam,  carna- 
tion, clarkia,  marigold,  mignonette,  nasturtium,  petunia,  por- 
tulaca,  zinnia,  poppy,  larkspur,  and  phlox.  These  are  all 
propagated  by  seed. 

Herbaceous  perennials,  which  are  renewed  by  either  seeds, 
divisions  of  the  roots,  or  cuttings,  though  growing  less  ra- 
pidly, with  care  will  last  for  years.  Such  are  the  monkshood, 
columbine,  harebell,  the  tribe  of  pinks,  dicentra  or  bleeding- 
heart,  the  wonderful  varieties  of  lilies  (numbering  about  one 
hundred),  the  iris,  the  narcissus  (including  jonquil  and  daffo- 
dil), the  cardinal-flower,  evening-primrose,  lilac,  and  various 
spireas.  These  all  require  occasional  replanting  in  fresh 
soil,  and  the  ground  frequently  stirred  about  the  roots,  and 
enriched. 

Of  hardy  shrubs  there  are  a  legion,  and  many  lovely  climb- 
ers. Among  those  frequently  employed  are  the  Virginia 
creeper,  bignonia  or  trumpet-vine,  virgin's-bower,  the  honey- 
suckles, the  woodbines,  wistarias,  and  many  roses.  We 
have  not  spoken  of  the  rose  before  :  that  glorious  family 
procession,  to  recognize  which  requires  a  liberal  floral  edu- 
cation, deserves  and  repays  especial  study.  Indeed,  we  have 
only  touched  upon  floriculture,  the  most  invigorating  and 
enticing  of  all  pursuits.     Our  maiden,  with  her  spade  and 


3^8  FLORICULTURE, 

hoe,  her  rake  and  trowel,  will  soon  acquire  a  genuine  enthu- 
siasm for  her  pastime,  learning  therefrom  more  than  books 
can  teach. 

Where  the  question  of  profit  comes  in,  a  greenhouse  is 
involved  if  any  elaborate  work  be  undertaken.  Here,  how- 
ever, as  in  every  thing  else,  one  thing  perfectly  done  will 
insure  a  larger  return  than  miscellaneous  work.  Violets  are 
always  salable ;  and  their  cultivation,  when  the  special  beds 
and  frames  they  require  are  once  made,  is  one  of  the  easiest 
and  most  profitable  forms  of  floriculture. 

There  are  books  which  have  proved  themselves  faithful 
guides  to  such  work,  and  the  titles  of  several  are  given  on 
p.  427.  The  work  being  so  practicable,  enjoyable,  and  re- 
munerative, it  is  a  constant  surprise  that  there  are  so  few 
women  florists.  A  few  months  of  special  training  under  a 
good  gardener  would  be  a  great  gain  ;  and  this  is  afforded  at 
one  or  two  of  the  agricultural  colleges,  the  Iowa  one  doing 
especially  valuable  work  in  such  directions 


PARLOR-GARDENING.  399 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

PARLOR-GARDENING. 

With  the  coming  of  the  long  winter  months,  our  inter- 
est gradually  recedes  in  outdoor  vegetation ;  and  the  falling 
petals  of  flowers  warn  us  to  prepare  them  homes  within  our 
walls,  where  their  loveliness  may  be  a  joy  or  solace.  Ac- 
cordingly we  take  up  our  favorites,  selecting  those  which  are 
free  winter-bloomers,  and  are  tender,  —  like  heliotropes,  be- 
gonias, salvias,  and  other  natives  of  the  tropics,  —  to  keep 
on  the  piazza,  or  some  sheltered  spot,  till  they  have  become 
accustomed  to  the  change. 

The  best  compost  for  house-plants  is  made  from  garden 
or  leaf  mould,  decomposed  manure,  and  river-sand  thor- 
oughly mixed  (the  greater  quantity  being  of  the  first-named) 
and  very  finely  powdered.  If  the  pot  is  too  large,  the  plant 
will  run  to  leaf,  and  not  flower  so  well.  It  is  better,  to  take 
one  that  seems  a  little  small,  even,  as  the  branches  must  be 
cut  back  nearly  one-half  their  length.  Many  florists  do  not 
now  follow  the  old  method  of  putting  in  broken  earthenware 
to  secure  drainage,  but  fill  in  the  earth  firmly  about  the 
pruned  stem,  and  water  very  sparingly,  with  the  pots  in  the 
shade  until  they  have  put  out  new  growth  and  new  roots. 
They  are  to  be  kept  as  long  as  possible  in  a  cool  place,  since 
most  of  them  are  more  injured  by  heat  than  by  moderate 
cold. 

But  it  is  much  better  to  have  begun  our  preparation  for 
winter  as  early  as  June,  by  taking  cuttings,  or  fresh  young 


400  PARLOR-GARDkN/NG, 

plants,  potting,  an.d  burying  them  so  that  the  pot  is  even 
with  the  surface  of  the  ground.  They  can  then  be  taken  up 
in  the  fall  without  retarding  their  growth.  They  are  removed 
to  the  sitting-room,  and  placed  on  the  south  or  east  side,  in 
the  sunshine ;  and  a  little  ingenuity  will  drape  your  windows 
with  nature's  own  growths.  On  brackets  at  each  side  are 
ivies,  which  creep  around  and  above  the  panes ;  on  others 
may  sit  drooping  begonias,  the  sedums,  oxalis  (either  red, 
white,  or  yellow),  the  smilax,  or  any  graceful  growers.  On 
the  stand  beneath,  either  of  wire  or  wood,  you  may  have  a 
succession  of  blossoms,  beginning  with  the  chrysanthemum 
in  December,  continuing  through  the  bulbs,  hyacinths,  calla- 
lily,  and  narcissus,  and  ending  with  all  you  can  find  room  to 
store.  Here  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  hardier,  such  as  can 
bear  an  average  temperature  of  fifty  degrees,  —  pelargoni- 
ums, jessamines,  roses,  azalias,  abutilons,  primulas,  verbenas, 
daphnes,  hoyas,  camellias,  oleanders,  geraniums,  and  stevias. 
If  the  room  is  very  warm  and  dry,  the  various  families  of 
the  cacti  will  flourish  :  if  warm  and  with  more  moisture,  the 
following  will  be  successful  bloomers,  —  heliotropes,  tube- 
roses, bouvardias,  fuchsias,  and,  of  foliage-plants,  the  coleus, 
Poinsettia,  and  caladium.  In  very  cold  nights,  unless  the 
windows  are  double,  these  plants  may  need  the  protection 
of  a  paper  thrown  over  them  to  prevent  getting  chilled. 

If  there  is  a  bay-window  in  the  sitting-room,  that  is  the 
very  place  for  a  rustic  stand,  or  even  an  oblong  wooden  box, 
with  a  painted  or  tiled  front,  and  lining  of  zinc,  perforated  at 
the  bottom.  Very  handsome  ones  are  now  made  of  terra- 
cotta and  iron.  In  the  centre  nothing  is  prettier  than  two 
or  three  varieties  of  begonia,  the  dracena,  maranta,  rose- 
geranium,  petunia,  echeveria,  and  a  few  ferns  ;  some,  though, 
requiring  a  high  temperature  to  flourish  well.  Over  the 
edge,  the  ivy,  moneywort,  tradescantia,  smilax,  and  nastur- 


PARLOR-GARDENING.  4OI 

tium  will  make  a  graceful  trailing  fringe.  Then,  with  a  shelf 
of  some  hard,  unpainted  wood,  like  black  walnut,  running 
about  the  bottom  of  the  window  to  furnish  support  for  flower- 
pots, a  bit  of  summer  may  be  imprisoned  to  cheer  with 
ever-varying  beauty  the  sombre  days  of  winter. 

Our  amateur  will  do  well  to  beware  of  watering  her  flowers 
too  frequently,  or  of  watering  them  in  the  saucers,  which  are 
merely  to  save  the  floor  or  carpet  beneath,  but  should  never 
contain  standing  water.  In  the  open  air  the  surface  be- 
comes dry,  and  is  then  refreshed  by  showers  :  so  should 
the  soil  in  our  pots.  But  when  they  are  watered,  it  should 
be  thoroughly  done.  A  little  ammonia  or  a  diluted  fertilizer 
twice  a  week  will  be  very  acceptable  to  their  roots. 

Cuttings  from  almost  all  perennial  plants  may  be  started 
in  a  dish  of  water,  or,  better  still,  in  a  shallow  dish  filled 
with  wet  sand.  Those  from  hardy  plants  may  be  simply 
inserted  in  the  earth,  close  beside  the  parent  stem. 

Bulbs  are  very  suitable  for  house-cultivation,  as  they  re- 
quire little  room.  The  hyacinth  can  be  grown  in  earth,  or 
in  dark-colored  glass  in  water  high  enough  to  just  touch 
them,  which  are  to  be  first  kept  in  a  cool,  dark  room,  then 
brought  to  the  window-garden  by  the  middle  of  November, 
if  they  are  desired  for  Christmas  blossoms.  The  calla-lily, 
which  has  been  resting  on  its  side,  dry  and  apparently  dead, 
all  summer,  if  raised  in  September,  and  plentifully  nourished 
with  warm  water,  will  pour  upon  the  air  a  subtle  fragrance 
from  a  stainless  calyx,  —  a  royal  princess  among  her  party- 
colored  sisters.  There  are  no  other  bulbs  worth  the  trouble 
of  coaxing  here.  Crocuses,  tulips,  narcissus,  and  the  snow- 
drops had  better  be  set  in  beds,  six  or  eight  inches  apart,  ana 
half  as  many  deep,  in  the  open  ground,  early  in  Octobef., 
though  they  may  be  used  in  the  house  if  desired.  The  tube- 
rose, from  its  overpowering  fragrance,  is  unwholesome  in- 
doors. 


402  PARLOR-GARDENING. 

Wardian -cases,  ferneries,  and  jardinieres  are  almost  too 
delicate  for  young  amateurs,  without  more  explicit  directions. 
Roses^  too,  may  b^  made  to  bloom  ;  but  they  require  a  good 
deal  of  experience.  Hanging-baskets,  made  from  pottery  or 
terra-cotta,  must  have  drainage,  and  are  pretty  additions  to 
the  window  with  any  small  blooming  plants  and  delicate 
vines. 

The  diseases  of  indoor  vegetation  are  mostly  caused  by 
parasites,  which  are  sometimes  very  troublesome.  They  may 
be  washed  in  weak  tobacco-tea,  or  carefully  sponged  with  a 
solution  of  whale-oil  soap. 


DRAWING  AND  DESIGNING  403 


CHAPTER   XX. 

DRAWING  AND  DESIGNING. 

To  be  able  to  picture  simple  objects  correctly  is  not  only 
a  source  of  great  pleasure,  but  the  foundation  of  many 
accomplishments  and  industries.  The  first  rude  attempts  of 
the  child  with  pencil  and  slate  or  paper  show  the  natural 
desire  of  the  race  for  pictorial  effects. 

Drawing  helps  the  student  express  her  love  of  beauty, 
educates  her  taste,  and  gives  her  hand  skill,  delicacy,  and 
force.  And  there  is  no  reason  why  she  should  not  begin  to 
draw  at  home,  and  fit  herself  to  work  with  colors  or  to  be- 
come a  pupil  in  some  of  the  industrial  arts,  schools  for  which 
have  lately  been  established  in  this  country.  In  these  they 
are  taught  to  design  patterns  for  carpets,  wall-paper,  wood- 
carving,  stained-glass,  inlaid  wood  panels,  silverware,  jewelry, 
lace,  embroidery,  and  book-covers.  And  there  is  no  other 
road  to  any  of  these  avocations,  to  drawing  from  nature  or 
the  human  form,  or  even  to  the  highest  compositions  of  the 
artist,  than  through  the  training  of  hand  and  eye  by  pains- 
taking practice. 

Our  maiden,  having  taken  drawing-paper  and  a  box  of 
pencils,  selects  one  moderately  soft,  and  begins  by  drawing 
slowly,  from  left  to  right,  a  line  as  nearly  perfectly  straight 
as  she  can  make  it,  —  not  an  easy  thing  to  do.  A  succession 
of  others  is  made  parallel  with  each  other,  and  the  lessons 
continued  until  the  fingers  are  obedient  servants  of  the  eye. 
Then  she  practises  making  right,  acute,  and  obtuse  angles. 


404  DRAWING   AND  DESIGNING. 

There  is  a  series  of  inexpensive  drawing-books  by  Walter 
Smith,  containing  the  steps  by  which  the  pupil  may  practise 
in  her  own  room  ;  but  all  figures  are  based  upon  straight  or 
curved  lines,  —  the  only  kinds  in  nature.  Checkered  and 
diamond  patterns  come  next,  and  geometrical  figures  of 
squares,  triangles,  and  irregular  forms. 

It  may  seem  easy  to  make  even  a  rough  circle.  Try  it, 
also  different  curves  and  ellipses ;  then  take  simple  objects, 
such  as  boxes,  cups,  utensils,  tools,  and  bits  of  fences,  or  the 
side  of  a  house  with  its  windows  and  doors.  Criticise  your 
work,  and  go  over  it  carefully  until  it  seems  well  done,  tak- 
ing up  new  forms  slowly.  You  will  now  want  to  take  a  leaf, 
or  the  single  petal  of  a  flower,  avoiding  every  thing  compli- 
cated. In  schools  of  industrial  art,  pupils  are  obliged  to 
draw  the  leaf  of  some  selected  plant  from  every  point  of 
view,  —  sideways,  twisted,  and  reversed,  —  till  they  can  re- 
produce it  from  memory.  The  petal  of  its  flower  is  then 
treated  in  the  same  way,  followed  by  the  whole  blossom, 
proceeding  to  its  stem,  leaves,  and  roots,  as  a  whole,  and  to 
its  seed-vessel  cut  in  two.  And  there  is  no  true  excellence 
in  art  which  is  not  based  upon  skilful  drawing. 

All  this  while,  our  amateur  has  observed  the  proportions 
of  objects  ;  that  is,  she  has  kept  the  respective  size  of  all 
parts  of  her  pictures.  But  she  has  not  shaded,  or  under- 
taken perspective  drawing,  having  treated  only  flat  surfaces, 
as  if  all  parts  were  the  same  distance  from  the  eye,  and 
equally  in  the  light.  But  in  reality  no  two  sides  of  any 
object  are  equally  illuminated  or  distant.  She  will  still  con- 
tinue to  make  delicate,  firm  outlines,  but  shade  with  paral- 
lel strokes  the  sides  opposite  that  on  which  the  light  falls. 
She  perceives,  that,  as  there  are  one  or  more  small  points  of 
brilliant  light  on  all  objects  seen  in  daylight,  so  on  the  oppo- 
site sides  there  is  a  point  of  deepest  shadow,  while  between, 


DRAWING   AND   DESIGNING.  405 

range  different  depths  of  shade.  Some  artists,  like  Rem- 
brandt, have  been  successful  in  displaying  these  gradations, 
securing  great  dignity  and  character  to  their  work.  The 
style  of  shading,  too,  marks  the  quality  of  the  limner. 

An  important  fact  to  be  noted  here  is,  that  there  is  not 
only  direct  light  shining  on  all  things,  but  there  are  re- 
flected rays,  which  make  the  opposite  side  less  dark  than  it 
would  otherwise  be. 

We  are  familiar  with  the  law  that  all  objects  apparently 
diminish  in  size  as  their  distance  from  the*  observer  de- 
creases ;  but  it  is  another  thing  to  express  it  correctly  on 
paper.  Perspective  drawing  indicates  space  and  distance  by 
lines  tending  to  a  common  centre,  and  by  shading,  which 
diminishes  in  force  as  it  approaches  the  background.  A 
long  training  of  the  eye  is  here  necessary,  and  a  knowledge 
of  certain  rules  which  are  observed  by  all  artists.  As  we 
look  on  a  landscape,  there  is  a  point  where  the  sight  ends, 
and  a  line  where  sky  and  earth  seem  to  meet.  That  hori- 
zontal line  is  called  the  "line  of  the  horizon ;"  and  the  point 
where  all  lines  converge  is  the  "vanishing-point."  Here 
the  straight  lines  which  seem  to  run  from  above  and  from 
below  the  horizon,  and  on  either  hand,  end  ;  and  it  is  upon 
that  horizontal  line  named.  Within  these  converging  rays, 
all  parts  of  a  picture  must  relatively  decrease  as  they  recede. 
We  must  also  calculate  the  distance  which  the  amateur  is 
supposed  to  stand  from  the  scene  which  she  pictures  :  from 
her  point  of  view,  the  "  vanishing-point "  must  be  exactly 
opposite.  Observation,  study,  and  practice,  with  some  trea- 
tise at  hand  to  furnish  hints  for  obtaining  the  perspective, 
will  enable  the  young  student  to  enjoy  sketching  from 
nature,  and  be  a  preparation  for  more  ambitious  work.  If 
she  desires  to  design  for  any  practical  purpose,  she  has  had 
at  hoijie  the   necessary  elementary  training.      If  she  has 


406  DRAWING   AND   DESIGNING. 

access  to  a  good  library,  she  will  consult  Owen  Jones's 
"Grammar  of  Ornament,"  and  "Racinet's  Polychromatic 
Art,"  and  study  all  collections  and  museums  within  her 
reach. 

On  the  contrary,  if  more  modest  in  her  desires,  she  will 
still  find  great  utility  in  her  capacity  for  drawing  any  object 
which  can  better  be  described  with  lines  than  words.  It  is 
no  useless  accomplishment  to  draw  the  plan  of  a  house,  the 
objects  of  a  room,  to  express  sentiment  or  humor  on  a  card 
with  a  few  telling  strokes  of  the  pencil,  to  give  interest  and 
amusement  in  a  thousand  ways.  Still  better,  a  knowledge 
of  the  foundation  principles  of  art,  which  are  universal  in 
their  application,  serves  to  give  exquisite  enjoyment  of  forms 
and  hues  in  nature  and  art  in  a  thousand  ways  ;  while  the 
uncultivated  eye  and  untrained  hand  are  powerless  to  see 
and  grasp  that  loveliness  which  makes  of  beauty  a  "joy  for- 


CREAM  FOR   CANDY.  407 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

HOME-MADE    CANDY. 

When  the  first  edition  of  this  book  was  prepared,  home- 
made candy  was  still  limited  to  a  few  varieties  of  molasses 
candy,  only  the  ambitious  girl  venturing  upon  caramels  or 
drops  of  any  sort.  To-day  it  is  not  only  possible  for  any 
one  to  make  excellent  candy  for  home  consumption,  but 
even  to  imitate  successfully  the  choicer  varieties  of  French 
candy.  For  this  last  there  is  always  a  certain  sale.  Its 
preparation  requires  time,  patience,  delicate  handling,  and 
the  skill  which  comes  from  even  a  short  practice  in  the 
use  of  these  prime  essentials.  Here  as  elsewhere,  practice 
makes  easy,  and  various  cases  have  been  given  me  in  which 
candy-makers  of  this  order  have  found  that  a  very  comforta- 
ble sum  could  be  made  monthly  by  supplying  the  drug-store 
or  the  village  store  with  the  carefully  prepared  and  pretty 
bonbons.  Before  giving  any  hints  for  work  of  this  nature, 
I  will  give  you  the  simple  form  which  is  possible  even  for  a 
child  of  only  ten  or  twelve,  and  the  knowledge  of  which 
ends  any  buying  of  cheap  candy.  There  is  no  doubt 
that  Americans  eat  too  much  sweet  stuff  of  one  sort  and 
another,  but  as  it  is  a  national  weakness,  it  is  a  good  thing 
to  know  the  purest  forms.  Here  is  the  rule  for  the  founda- 
tion of  many  sorts  of  candies. 

CREAM   FOR   CANDY. 

Take  the  white  of  one  Q^'g  and  an  equal  amount  of  cold 
water.     The  best  way  is  to  drop  the  white  in  a  tumbler, 


408  HOME-MADE   CANDY, 

notice  how  far  it  comes  up,  and  then  take  the  same  amount 
of  water  and  mix  both.  The  ^^^  must  not  be  beaten.  Now 
add  one  pound  of  confectioner's  sugar,  ami  the  strained  juice 
of  a  lemon,  or  vanilla  can  be  used  for  half,  and  half  a  lemon 
for  the  remainder.  Work  in  this  sugar  till  all  is  in  a  firm 
mass ;  then  lay  it  on  a  pastry-board  and  knead  it  like  a  lump 
of  dough,  using  a  little  dry  sugar  to  keep  it  from  sticking. 
From  this  lump  take  a  third  for  chocolate  creams,  a  third 
for  walnut  and  date  creams,  and  the  rest  for  nut  candy. 

CHOCOLATE   CREAMS. 

Mould  some  of  the  sugar  dough  into  small  balls.  Melt 
two  ounces  of  chocolate,  by  scraping  it  fine  into  a  cup  and 
setting  it  in  boiling  water  till  it  melts.  Drop  in  the  little 
balls,  and  when  well  covered  take  them  out  and  put  on 
waxed  or  paraffine  paper  such  as  can  now  be  bought  at  any 
stationer's  or  confectioner's,  and  let  them  dry.  They  must 
be  lifted  out  carefully  with  a  fork,  and  require  some  hours 
to  dry. 

WALNUT   CREAMS. 

Have  ready  quarter  of  a  pound  of  English  walnuts,  the 
meats  taken  out  carefully  in  halves,  and  press  a  half  nut 'on 
each  side  of  a  ball  of  the  prepared  sugar.  For  date  or  prune 
creams,  split  both,  take  out  the  stone,  and  put  half  the  fruit 
on  each  side  as  with  the  walnuts.  Almonds  and  filberts  can 
be  covered  with  some  of  the  paste  and  dipped  in  the  choco- 
late or  left  plain. 

PURE   DELIGHT. 

This  is  the  title  given  by  a  family  of  experimental  girls  to 
a  candy  made  in  this  fashion.  Take  the  remaining  third  of 
the  sugar  paste,  and  add  to  it  two  figs,  a  handful  of  raisins 


CREAM  CANDY.  4O9 

seeded  and  chopped,  about  an  ounce  of  citron,  and  all  the 
broken  nuts,  say  a  teacupful  of  them,  altogether.  Chop 
them  all  quite  fine  and  then  mix  thoroughly  with  the  sugar, 
kneading  them  in,  rolling  it  about  a  third  of  an  inch  thick 
and  cutting  in  very  small  squares.  If  there  is  any  choco- 
late left,  use  it  to  cover  a  few  of  the  squares,  or  it  can  be 
stirred  into  some  of  the  plain  sugar  and  cut  into  chocolate 
squares.  It  is  possible  to  vary  these  combinations  in  many 
ways,  and  a  little  of  this  candy,  if  made  a  part  of  the  meal 
and  not  given  between  meals,  can  do  no  possible  harm  to 
children. 

We  come  now  to  the  more  troublesome  preparations,  and 
I  give  the  first  form  which  is  the  foundation  for  every 
thing  that  follows.  Use  a  porcelain-lined  or  enamelled 
saucepan.  It  is  impossible  to  make  good  candy  in  a  tin 
one.  Begin  with  small  amounts  till  you  have  learned  how 
to  handle  it  easily  and  skilfully. 

CREAM   CANDY. 

Boil  one  pound  of  the  best  granulated  sugar  and  one  gill 
of  water,  and  a  little  more  than  half  an  ordinary  saltspoon- 
ful  of  cream-of-tartar,  till  when  you  drop  a  little  in  ice-water 
it  becomes  a  rather  soft  ball.  Stir  it  just  once  as  you  put 
it  on  to  boil,  but  not  at  all  afterward,  else  it  will  not  be 
creamy.  Then  pour  it  into  a  dish  but  do  not  scrape  out  the 
saucepan  into  it,  or  leave  a  spoon  in  it.  When  it  has  become 
blood-warm  begin  to  stir  it,  and  stir  and  beat  it  till  it  is 
white.  It  will  very  soon  be  too  stiff  for  the  spoon.  Then 
roll  and  work  it  with  your  hands,  the  more  the  better.  It 
soon  becomes  like  firm  lard,  and  in  this  form,  by  covering  it 
with  waxed  paper  you  can  keep  it  for  weeks.  It  should  be 
firm  enough  when  cold  to  cut  easily  with  a  knife,  and  if  it 


410  HOME-MADE   CANDY, 

does  not,  it  has  not  been  boiled  enough,  in  which  case  you 
have  only  to  boil  it  over  again,  using  as  little  water  as 
possible — a  tablespoonful  or,  at  the  most,  two,  should  be 
enough.  This  cream  can  be  colored  red  with  a  few  drops 
of  cochineal ;  green,  with  the  juice  of  spinach,  one  drop  or 
so  giving  it  a  pale  green,  and  more  as  deep  a  shade  as 
desired.  Settle  beforehand  what  sorts  are  to  be  made,  and 
prepare  your  nuts,  chocolate,  and  any  thing  else  desired,  as 
♦•here  must  be  no  stopping  after  work  begins. 

NUT  OR  CHOCOLATE   CREAMS. 

For  chocolate  creams,  melt  chocolate  as  directed  in  the 
rule  given.  Mould  small  bits  of  the  firm  cream,  and  drop 
them  into  it,  taking  them  out  with  an  oiled  fork  and  drying 
on  waxed  paper.  For  nuts  a  different  method  is  needed. 
Take  part  of  the  firm  cream  and  put  it  in  a  bowl,  standing 
the  bowl  in  a  saucepan  of  boiling  water.  Stir  the  cream 
steadily  as  it  melts,  letting  the  water  boil  around  it  all  the 
time  till  melted,  then  leave  it  still  in  the  saucepan,  but  re- 
move to  a  table.  Drop  in  almonds  or  filberts,  let  them  get 
well  coated ;  then  lift  out  with  an  oiled  fork,  give  it  a  tap  on 
the  side  of  a  bowl  to  free  it  from  superfluous  candy,  and 
drop  the  balls  on  waxed  paper  to  dry.  A  second  coating 
when  dry  is  always  an  improvement,  but  is  not  necessary. 

PEACH   OR   GINGER    CREAMS. 

Take  a  preserved  peach,  or  piece  of  preserved  ginger, 
crush  it  well  to  get  rid  of  all  the  juice,  add  then  a  few  drops 
of  lemon  juice  and  enough  confectioner's  sugar  to  make  a 
firm  and  easily  handled  paste.  Roll  it  then  into  finger 
lengths,  cut  into  pieces  half  an  inch  thick  and  dip  into  the 
melted  cream.     Any  rich  sweetmeat,  cherries,  apricot,  and 


ALMOND   CREAMS.  4II 

the  like,  can  be  treated  in  the  same  way,  the  cherries,  of 
course,  being  each  dipped  separately.  Preserved  quince 
makes  a  delicious  cream. 

ORANGE,   LEMON,   OR  PEPPERMINT  CREAMS. 

Make  a  cream  candy  as  already  described,  and  when  cool 
and  in  shape,  divide  into  three  parts,  working  into  each  part 
from  two  to  four  drops  of  the  oil  of  peppermint,  of  lemon 
or  of  orange.  This  is  far  stronger  than  the  essence  and 
must  be  used  carefully.  To  the  lemon  and  orange  add  half 
a  teaspoonful  of  lemon  juice.  The  strength  varies,  and  as 
the  oils  are  powerful  flavors,  you  had  better  begin  with  two 
drops  for  each  portion  of  the  candy,  and  add  more  if  needed. 
If  you  get  it  too  strong  add  some  of  the  plain  cream. 

To  shape  these  creams  either  make  some  stiff  paper  forms 
an  inch  deep  and  wide  and  six  inches  long,  or  you  can  get 
small  boxes  that  have  held  a  dozen  spools  of  cotton.  Oil 
them  well  and  press  in  the  candy.  When  it  is  quite  firm 
turn  it  out,  cut  it  in  caramel  shapes  with  a  warm  knife  and 
do  up  each  one  neatly  in  waxed  paper  in  the  same  way  that 
caramels  are  wrapped. 

ALMOND   CREAMS. 

Almond  paste,  ready  for  macaroons  or  candy,  can  now 
be  had  at  the  large  grocers  and  is  much  less  troublesome 
than  to  blanch  and  pound  the  almonds  separately.  These 
creams  are  most  delicious,  and  are  made  by  boiling  half  a 
pound  of  granulated  sugar  with  just  enough  water  to  dis- 
solve it,  till  a  little  will  harden  slightly  in  ice-water.  Grate 
the  yellow  rind  of  a  lemon  ;  strain  the  juice  of  a  lemon  and 
a  half,  and  shave  four  ounces  of  the  almond  paste  very  thin. 
Have  these  all  ready  and  add  to  the  candy,  when  it  hardens 


412  HOME-MADE   CANDY. 

a  little  in  water.  Stir  till  well  mixed,  and  now  and  then  to 
prevent  burning,  and  boil  steadily  till  it  cracks  crisply  on 
dropping  in  ice-water.  Oil  or  butter  a  dish,  and  pour  the 
mixture  on  it.  When  cold  it  will  not  be  hard,  but  can  be 
cut  in  squares  like  caramels,  or  you  can  mould  it  in  balls  or 
any  shape  you  like,  and  dip  in  the  cream  candy.  In  either 
case,  It  is  delicious  and  easy. 

GEORGIA  TAFFY. 

This  rule  was  given  me  many  years  ago  by  a  Georgia 
friend,  and  has  won  applause  wherever  tried.  One  quart  of 
roasted  peanuts,  shelled  and  chopped  or  pounded  very  fine. 
One  pound  of  brown  sugar;  a  teaspoonful  of  butter,  the 
strained  juice  of  a  lemon,  or  a  teaspoonful  of  vinegar  and  a 
tablespoonful  of  water,  or  just  enough  to  dissolve  the  sugar 
when  put  on  the  fire.  Boil  the  sugar,  lemon,  etc.,  for  twenty 
minutes,  stirring  to  keep  from  burning.  Then  mix  in  the 
nuts,  boil  up  once,  and  pour  thin,  in  buttered  pans. 

BUTTER  SCOTCH. 

This  form  of  taffy  is  so  popular  in  England  that  a  great 
factory  in  London  does  nothing  else.  To  make  it  on  a  small 
scale,  take  one  pound  of  brown  sugar,  one  teacupful  of  mo- 
lasses, half  a  teacupful  of  butter,  two  tablespoonsful  of  vin- 
egar. Boil  all  together  about  twenty  minutes,  or  till  it 
hardens  in  cold  water,  then  pour  thin  on  buttered  tins,  cut- 
ting in  squares  while  still  warm.  For  a  variation  it  can  be 
pulled  like  ordinary  molasses  candy  till  it  is  a  light  straw 
color,  twisted  and  cut  in  short  lengths.  In  either  case  it  is 
the  best  form  of  molasses  candy,  the  brown  sugar  being  but 
one  remove  from  molasses. 


A    PERFECT  CARAMEL.  4I3 

A   PERFECT   CARAMEL. 

One  large  cup  of  molasses ;  a  teacupful  of  sugar,  and  one 
of  milk ;  one  heaping  tablespoonful  of  butter ;  a  pinch  of 
salt ;  quarter  of  a  pound  of  chocolate,  cut  or  scraped  fine. 
Boil  all  together  about  half  an  hour,  or  until  it  hardens  when 
dropped  in  cold  water,  then  pour  on  buttered  tins,  and  as  it 
cools  cut  into  small  squares. 

These  rules  are  given  because  they  have  been  tested  over 
and  over  again,  and  if  followed  to  the  letter  never  fail.  If 
the  forms  given  are  carefully  made,  boxes  can  be  filled  quite 
as  attractive  in  appearance  as  the  French  candies  selling  at 
from  eighty  cents  to  a  dollar  a  pound.  The  candy  made  at 
home  can  be  sold  for  sixty  cents  a  pound  and  is  worth  it> 
but  even  at  fifty  a  fair  profit  can  be  made.  To  those  who 
want  to  experiment  with  it  as  a  source  of  income,  I  com- 
mend a  little  book  by  Catherine  Owen,  one  of  the  best 
writers  in  America  on  such  topics:  **  Candy  Making,"  pub- 
lished by  Clark,  Bryan,  &  Co.,  Springfield,  Mass.  But  it  is 
quite  as  well  to  begin  with  a  few  simple  kinds,  make  them 
as  perfectly  as  possible,  and,  finding  out  what  you  can  do 
best,  make  that  your  specialty.  In  fact  a  specialty  is  much 
more  likely  to  make  money  than  indiscriminate  variety. 
One  woman  in  Philadelphia  has  made  a  fortune  by  thirty 
years  of  making  walnut  molasses  candy,  and,  though  often 
tempted,  refused  to  add  any  other  variety,  and  she  was 
right. 


414  A  NEW  HOME  INDUSTRY. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

A  NEW   HOME   INDUSTRY. 

Just  off  Regent  Street,  in  the  crowded  West  End  of 
London,  whose  roar  is  sounding  in  my  ears  as  I  write  these 
words,  is  a  quiet  corner  known  as  Langham  Chambers, 
where  in  the  pleasant  rooms  one  may  see  the  latest  novel- 
ties in  what  they  call  the  "  minor  arts."  These  "  minor 
arts"  take  in  every  form  of  home  decoration,  and  include 
wood-carving,  modelling,  and  various  possibilities  already 
described  in  these  pages.  But  one  of  them  was  so  surpris- 
ing, and  the  effect  so  far  beyond  what  could  be  dreamed  of 
from  the  materials  used,  that  I  made  haste  to  get  every  de- 
tail, and  present  them  now,  as  not  only  the  clue  to  inter- 
esting and  even  fascinating  work,  but  also  as  the  solution  of 
at  least  part  of  one  of  our  household  problems — what  to  do 
with  the  broken  china  and  broken  pottery  in  general. 

The  process  is  said  to  have  been  invented  by  a  popular 
dentist  of  aesthetic  tastes,  who  was  in  despair  over  the 
breakage  of  some  of  his  favorite  bits  of  china  and  pottery. 
He  determined  not  to  lose  them  entirely,  and  the  result  of 
his  experiments  was  a  set  of  tiles,  and  the  birth  of  what  is 
nearly  a  new  art,  and  might  well  stand  as  the  title  of  the 
present  chapter. 

MOSAIC   WORK   IN   BROKEN   CHINA. 

Here  the  art  has  become  so  popular  that  it  is  actually 
taught  in  some  of  the  evening  schools ;  and  frames  and  all 


MOSAIC  WORK  IN  BROKEN  CHINA,  4I5 

needed  appliances  are  now  made,  and  can  be  had  very 
cheaply.  But  it  is  still  unknown  in  the  United  States ;  and 
so  the  learner  must  trust  to  the  village  carpenter,  or  possibly 
to  her  own  skill,  already  acquired  in  handling  tools,  for  the 
small  frame  which  is  the  first  necessity. 

This  frame  must  be  the  size  of  the  ordinary  tile,  and  of 
eight  pieces.  First,  two  cradles,  or  supports,  on  which  you 
lay  the  flat  piece  of  board  the  size  of  the  tile ;  four  side 
pieces  must  be  made,  two  of  .hem  a  little  longer  than  the 
others,  and  with  a  groove  into  which  the  shorter  pieces  fit, 
just  as  you  would  make  a  box.  These  are  to  fit  around  the 
flat  board,  and  to  fix  and  hold  them  tightly ;  a  peg  at  each 
end  will  be  best.  The  frame  is  then  complete  and  ready  for 
work. 

The  iron  chopper  is  made  here  so  that  it  can  be  raised  or 
lowered  by  a  peg;  but  a  very  good  substitute  will  be  a  meat- 
cleaver,  such  as  can  be  bought  at*  a  hardware  store.  A 
small  wooden  mallet,  a  bottle  of  mucilage,  a  traced  paper 
pattern,  a  piece  of  glass  cut  just  the  size  of  the  tile,  and  a 
package  of  Portland  cement,  which  can  be  had  at  a  good 
paint-shop,  or  from  the  manufacturers  of  tiles.  A  stock  of 
broken  china  is  the  next  need  ;  and  the  commoner  sorts  are 
best.  Yellow  pie  dishes  are  an  essential,  a  great  deal  of 
white,  some  black,  if  it  is  possible  to  get  it,  though  there  is 
very  little  black  pottery,  and  red  and  white  and  brown  ;  in 
short  all  the  colors  you  can  secure.  If  the  home  heap  of 
broken  crockery  does  not  suffice,  any  china-store  will  be  glad 
to  get  rid  of  its  stock  of  this  nature. 

Now  for  the  method.  Choose  for  a  beginning  a  very  sim- 
ple pattern,  say  a  circle  enclosed  in  a  diamond,  and  let  the 
colors  be  as  simple ;  say,  yellow  for  the  circle,  red  for  the 
projecting  triangles  of  the  diamond,  and  white  for  the 
ground.     A  favorite  Roman  combination  is  red,  black,  and 


4l6  A   NEW  HOME  INDUSTRY, 

white  in  this  same  pattern  ;  but  it  may  not  be  possible  to 
get  black. 

Draw  the  pattern  carefully  over  a  sheet  of  paper ;  lay  it 
on  the  board  which  makes  the  bottom  of  the  frame,  and 
cover  it  with  the  piece  of  glass.  In  this  way  your  pattern 
is  not  destroyed  in  working,  and  you  have  a  perfectly  flat 
surface,  as  glass  never  warps  as  wood  does.  Now  you  must 
prepare  your  china,  and  can  make  as  large  a  stock  as  you 
like,  depending  upon  the  number  of  tiles  you  plan  for.  If 
you  have  not  the  chopper  with  a  peg  which  will  hold  the 
china,  simply  put  your  broken  piece  under  the  cleaver,  and 
strike  that  with  the  mallet.  Begin  with  the  yellow  pie-dish, 
and  a  little  practice  will  very  soon  enable  you  to  chop  it 
into  rectangular  bits  quarter  of  an  inch  square,  the  most 
useful  size.  Triangles  are  very  useful,  and  the  pieces  will 
often  break  in  this  way.  It  is  important  that  they  should 
all  be  perfectly  flat,  and  the  glazed  surface  must  always  be 
put  next  to  the  glass. 

When  your  stock  of  pieces,  "  tesserae  "  the  mosaic  work- 
ers call  them,  is  ready,  brush  a  little  mucilage  over  the  glass 
to  help  hold  the  bits  steady.  Then  begin  to  form  your 
circle-,  arranging  the  bits  so  that  their  outer  edge  just  touches 
the  outer  edge  of  the  pattern.  If  you  take  care  to  follow 
the  general  outline  carefully,  the  inside  ones  take  care  of 
themselves.  Remember,  too,  that  you  only  see  the  back 
of  the  tile  while  working ;  that  the  glazed  surface  must  al- 
ways go  against  the  glass,  and  the  unglazed  be  uppermost. 
Make  the  outline  very  carefully,  using  the  triangles  for  the 
corners,  if  a  circle  can  be  said  to  own  comers,  and  not  leav- 
ing the  bits  quite  touch,  since  the  cement  is  to  be  poured  in 
to  hold  them  together. 

For  the  points  of  the  diamond,  take  a  piece  of  red-glazed 
earthenware  and  cut  into  pieces,  taking  care  to  have  four 


MOSAIC  WORK  IN  BROKEN  CHINA.  417 

very  neat  triangles  for  these  points.  Outline  the  diamond 
as  you  did  the  circle,  and  fill  up  the  centre.  For  the  back- 
ground use  your  white  "  tesserae,"  gumming  the  surface  as 
before,  and  outline  the  entire  diamond  in  even  pieces. 
Next  outline  the  frame,  taking  care  to  leave  here  a  little 
space  between  the  outline  and  the  sides  of  your  box  frame, 
so  as  to  make  a  firm  edge  when  the  cement  is  poured  in. 
Fill  up  this  space  carefully  and  the  **  setting  "  is  done. 

Now,  first  being  perfectly  certain  that  all  your  pieces 
touch  the  glass  evenly,  wet  the  entire  rough  back  by  pass- 
ing a  wet  brush  over  it,  the  object  of  this  being  to  prevent 
the  porous  earthenware  from  sucking  the  water  too  quickly 
out  of  the  cement.  The  tile  is  then  ready  for  the  final  and 
most  critical  operation.  Pour  a  pint  of  water  into  a  com- 
mon earthen  bowl,  shaking  in  the  powdered  cement  from 
your  package,  letting  the  water  damp  it  slowly,  and  then, 
with  an  iron  spoon  mixing  it  in,  till  the  whole  is  like  smooth 
thick  custard.  Take  this  by  the  spoonful  and  pour  very 
carefully  over  your  tile,  seeing  that  it  sinks  down  well  be- 
tween the  "  tesserae."  When  this  is  done  mix  more  cement 
with  the  custard  till  it  is  quite  thick  and  firm,  and  spread  it 
over  this  first  thin  coating  till  you  have  filled  up  to  the  level 
of  the  frame.  If  it  seems  too  liquid  at  the  top,  sift  on  some 
dry  cement  which  will  absorb  the  water.  Put  the  frame  in 
a  dry,  warm  room,  and  in  two  or  three  days  the  cement  will 
be  hard  and  white.  Take  out  the  pegs,  remove  the  sides 
and  back  very  carefully,  and  the  tile  is  before  you.  If  the 
first  filling  was  not  perfect,  there  will  be  little  gaps  and  hol- 
lows in  your  "  tesserae,"  but  these  can  be  filled  from  the 
front  if  done  very  carefully. 

There  is  one  very  curious  fact  about  Portland  cement 
which  must  be  guarded  against  very  carefully.  If  it  is  not 
fresh  it  "  dies,"  as  the  makers  say ;  that  is,  it  will  not  co 


41 B  A   JV£PV  HOME  INDUSTRY. 

here,  but  falls  to  dust  again.  For  this  reason  a  packet 
should  never  be  opened  until  wanted,  and  what  is  left 
should  be  put  away  in  an  air-tight  box,  though  it  is  far 
better  to  use  it  all  up  at  once.  The  basin  and  spoon  must 
be  cleaned  at  once  to  keep  the  cement  from  hardening  on 
them,  and  in  throwing  away  any  that  is  left,  remember  not 
to  throw  it  down  a  sink,  as  it  would  harden  and  stop  up  the 
pipe.  You  can  have  several  frames,  and  thus  fill  a  number 
of  tiles  at  once  with  the  mixture,  which  is  the  most  practical 
way. 

Tiles  of  this  nature  are  not  suitable  for  floors,  since  the 
china  might  chip  off  if  much  walked  upon.  But  for  bath- 
room walls,  flower  stands,  dados,  and  fireplaces  they  are  ad- 
mirable, and  patterns  innumerable  may  be  found  in  the 
head-  and  tail-pieces  of  old  books.  The  fact  that  the  china 
can  not  be  cut  very  small  or  very  evenly,  prevents  making 
very  elaborate  designs,  but  this  is  no  disadvantage.  Walter 
Crane's  picture  books  have  many  conventional  designs 
which  can  easily  be  followed,  and  books  of  architectural 
plates  will  give  you  old  mosaic  floors.  Your  own  invention 
will  come  to  your  aid,  and  you  will  find  that  tiles  which  are 
now  a  luxury  can  be  made  so  cheaply  that  they  become 
possible  for  those  who  have  very  little  tnoney.  The  work 
itself  seems  to  fascinate  all  who  undertake  it,  and  the  effect 
has  none  of  the  cheapness  which  might  seem  to  result  from 
the  use  of  such  materials,  but,  when  carefully  done,  looks 
and  is  like  good  mosaic  work.  The  frames  may  be  larger 
than  the  ordinary  tile,  but  if  too  large  may  break.  Nothing 
can  be  prettier  than  these  tiles  in  a  bath-room,  and  if  they 
are  to  be  set  against  a  wall,  the  backs  must  be  roughened 
with  a  knife  before  the  cement  is  entirely  dry.  Do  this  by 
simply  cutting  lines  with  the  back  of  a  knife.  It  is  better 
to  keep  them  some  time  before  using  them,  and  their  uses 


MOSAIC  WORJC  IN  BROKEM  CHINA,  410 

are  countless.  As  a  finish  above  the  kitchen  sink,  nothing 
could  be  cleaner  or  more  easily  cared  for,  and  whoever  be- 
gins to  utilize  them  will  discover  many  places  where  they 
"  fill  a  long-felt  want  "  as  nothing  else  has  or  can.  In 
short,  I  should  like  to  begin  some  with  you  at  once,  regard- 
ing the  inventor  as  a  genuine  benefactor,  and  believing 
that  you  will  agree  with  me  when  your  first  set  is  finished. 


4^  COOKING-CLUBS  AND    WORK  IN  GENERAL. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

COOKING-CLUBS   AND   WORK   IN   GENERA^ 

Cooking-clubs  have  been  formed  at  so  many  points  all 
over  the  country,  and  are  always  so  popular,  that  they  need 
little  description,  and  certainly  no  recommendation.  What- 
ever helps  to  interest  one  in  the  best  preparation  of  food  is 
certainly  a  benefit.  But  the  best  is  by  no  means  the  richest ; 
nor  is  it  to  be  limited  to  cakes,  creams,  and  salads.  As  these 
clubs  are  generally  organized,  they  include  from  six  to  a 
dozen  girls,  whose  object  is  to  prepare  dishes  elaborate 
enough  to  form,  when  finished,  a  lunch  for  the  party.  This 
is  all  very  well :  yet  it  results,  usually,  in  two  or  three  cakes, 
oysters  in  some  form,  and  a  salad ;  bread  being  bought,  or 
provided  beforehand. 

It  is  much  easier  to  scallop  oysters  than  to  make  good 
bread,  to  make  a  cake  than  to  boil  a  potato  perfectly ;  and 
chocolate  bears  being  poorly  made  much  better  than  tea  or 
coffee,  which  demand  just  the  right  handling  to  give  the  best 
return. 

And  so,  while  it  will  still  be  well  to  include  something 
savory  and  desirable  in  the  list  of  dishes,  a  cooking-club  which 
decides  in  the  very  beginning  to  devote  its  chief  energies  to 
the  simple  things,  really  the  most  abused  and  hopelessly 
ruined  articles  that  come  on  our  tables,  will  do  far  better  work. 
The  club  that  will  offer  a  prize  for  the  best  loaf  of  bread  both 
white  and  brown,  the  best  pan  of  rolls,  the  mealiest  potato, 
the  clearest  coffee,  will  have  laid  a  foundation  for  good  food 


COOKING-CLUBS  AND    WORK  IN  GENERAL,  42 1 

at  home ;  and,  when  the  power  to  succeed  always  in  these 
articles  is  gained,  any  fancy  dishes  may  take  their  place. 
Bread  will  perhaps  be  less  interesting  than  cake ;  and  yet 
I  have  known  many  girls  who  became  fascinated  with  its 
making,  and  who  prided  themselves  at  last  on  the  perfectly 
baked,  golden-brown  loaves,  with  something  of  the  feeling 
they  had  had  for  a  good  drawing,  or  a  bit  of  successful  paint- 
ing. Blunders  will  be  made  at  first ;  and  often  there  is  great 
objection  to  the  occupation  of  the  kitchen, — made,  sometimes 
by  the  cook,  and  as  often  by  the  busy  mother,  who  dreads 
waste,  and  loss  of  time,  and  sundry  other  evils,  not  one  of 
which  can  compare  for  a  moment  in  importance  with  the  loss 
of  such  knowledge.  Many  a  bride  has  wept  very  bitter  tears 
over  her  own  ignorance  of  how  to  prepare  even  the  simplest 
meal ;  but  a  season  with  a  persevering  and  enthusiastic  cook- 
ing-club would  make  the  way  easy. 

And  it  is  far  more  possible  to  make  money  from  such  an 
accomplishment  than  is  generally  supposed.  In  small  vil« 
lages  this  is  not  the  case  perhaps,  though  even  there  the 
advent  of  some  wandering  baker's-cart  is  hailed  with  delight. 
But  in  towns  and  cities  there  is  immediate  demand,  and  any 
article  perfect  of  its  kind  sells  at  once.  It  cannot  be  out  of 
order  to  speak  of  one  lady,  whose  cakes  are  now  known  in  all 
our  large  cities,  being  kept  by  every  prominent  grocer.  Miss 
Martin  took  up  this  occupation  as  a  resource  when  her  health 
had  failed  from  teaching,  and  began  with  simply  filling  the 
orders  of  friends.  Within  a  year  the  demand  so  increased, 
that  she  had  to  secure  special  quarters  ;  and  her  income  now 
is  six  times  what  even  the  best  teaching  at  present  secures. 
Her  sister  has  had  equal  success  in  canning,  pickling  and 
preserving,  and  supervises  personally  every  detail  of  the 
operations.  It  is  this  personal  supervision  that  means  the 
delightful  "home-made"  quality  all  bakers  fail  to  give;  and 


422  COOKING-CLUBS  AND    WORK  IN  GENERAL 

it  is  always  possible  for  any  girl  of  good  judgment  and  some 
training  to  take  up  this  industry,  and  not  only  dignify  it,  but 
earn,  when  known,  a  handsome  livelihood.  Where  it  is  con- 
fined to  a  village  or  town,  there  should  be,  in  all  cases,  a  labor 
exchange,  which  may  mean  simply  power  to  display  articles 
prepared  for  sale  in  a  portion  of  some  good  store,  or  a  room 
in  some  accessible  house.  Let  it  be  known  that  this  or  that 
one,  with  a  peculiar  gift  in  certain  directions,  will  either  make 
for  pay,  or  will  exchange  for  some  needed  thing  in  which  she 
has  less  skill,  and  there  will  soon  be  a  demand. 

Of  many  other  occupations  for  pleasure  or  profit,  there  is 
no  room  to  speak ;  but  a  final  word  on  some  possibilities  of 
village-life  must  be  said.  For  most  of  them  there  is  a  stag- 
nation which  paralyzes  thought,  and  drives  both  sons  and 
daughters  out  into  the  world  as  soon  as  they  are  old  enough 
to  take  such  a  step.  Yet  there  might  be  a  far  different  life, 
if  families  would  band  together,  recognke  that  recreation  is 
as  much  a  necessity  as  is  toil,  and  seek  every  means  of  bring- 
ing people  into  a  better  knowledge  of  one  another.  Caste 
is  often  as  sharply  defined  in  a  New-England  village  as  if 
all  were  Brahmins.  Sects  are  numerous  :  everybody  cleaves 
to  his  or  her  "  doxy,"  and  any  concerted  action  is  impossible. 

A  "village  improvement  society"  might  be  the  first  organ- 
ized effort.  Perhaps  the  cemetery  is  an  eyesore,  overgrown 
with  weeds  and  nettles ;  perhaps  the  yards  of  the  houses  are 
shrubless  or  treeless,  and  nobody  has  time  to  think  how  bare 
and  forlorn  it  all  is.  Every  possibility  of  work  in  such  direc- 
tions is  given  in  a  delightful  little  book,  called  "  Villages  and 
Village  Life,"  by  Nathaniel  Hillyer  Eggleston,  the  full  title 
of  which  is  on  p.  412,  and  which  holds  not  only  hints,  but  the 
fullest  and  plainest  directions,  for  beautifying  and  improving 
outward  surroundings,  and  this  with  no  extravagant  outlay 
of  either  time  or  money. 


COOKING-CLUBS  AND    WORK  IN  GENERAL,  425 

If  life  is  to  be  passed  in  the  remote  and  quiet  country,  — 
and  many  a  tired  dweller  in  cities  will  tell  you  it  is  the  only 
peaceful  one,  —  refuse  to  let  it  be  shut  in,  and  barren  of 
interest.  Apathy  and  inertia  often  settle  down  upon  one. 
Drive  them  away  by  constant  intercourse  with  others.  Plan 
a  village  library,  a  reading-club,  some  form  of  entertainment 
in  which  all  can  join,  a  magic-lantern,  a  stereopticon,  —  any 
thing  that  will  bring  about  a  working-together  and  a  feeling 
of  common  interests  arid  purposes. 

As  I  write  I  seem  to  see  the  heavy,  uninterested,  self-con- 
scious faces  I  have  ached  over  in  many  a  village  church,  but 
I  see  also  the  sudden  brightening  as  any  live  word  reached 
them ;  and  I  know  that  for  every  life  there  is  the  power  of 
enjoyment,  which  can  be  cultivated  as  thoroughly  as  any 
other  power,  and  which  grows  in  making  others  enjoy.  And 
so,  my  girls,  for  whom  I  would  gladly  do  far  more  than  the 
limits  of  this  book  allow,  open  your  eyes.  See  what  is  wait- 
ing for  every  one  of  you.  Find  out  your  bent,  and  follow  it ; 
or  if  you  have  no  bent,  and  can  only  jog  along  from  day  to 
day,  jog  cheerfully,  and  think  of  brave,  sweet  words  Charles 
Kingsley  wrote  for  just  such  lives  as  yours :  — 

**  Be  good,  sweet  child,  and  let  who  will  be  clever ; 
Do  noble  things,  not  dream  them,  all  day  long : 
And  so  make  life,  death,  and  that  vast  forever 
One  grand,  sweet  song." 


AUTHORITIES 


CONSULTED  IN  PREPARING  THE  AMERICAN  GIRL*S  HOME  BOOK  OP 
WORK  AND  PLAY. 


The  Girl's  Own  Book  of  Amusements,  Studies,  and  Employ- 
ments.   By  Mrs.  L.  Valentine  and  others. 

The  Girl's  Own  Treasury  ;  specially  designed  for  the  Amusement 
and  Instruction  of  Young  Ladies. 

Every  Girl's  Book.  A  Compendium  of  Entertaining  Amusements 
for  Recreation  in  Home  Circles.    By  Louisa  Lawford. 

The  Home  Book  for  Young  Ladies.    Edited  by  Mrs.  Valentine. 

Every  Girl's  Annual.    Edited  by  Miss  Alicia  A.  Leith. 

The  Girl's  Own  Annual. 

Evening  Amusements;  or.  Merry  Hours  for  Many  People. 

Footlight  Frolics.  Entertainments  for  Home  and  School;  com- 
prising School  Opera,  Charades,  Plays,  Christmas  Capers,  etc.  By  Mrs. 
Charles  F.  Fernald. 

Dick's  Parlor  Exhibitions. 

How  to  Amuse  an  Evening  Party.  A  Complete  Collection  of 
Home  Recreations.     Illustrated. 

The  Ladies'  Guide  to  Needlework,  Embroidery,  etc.  By  S. 
Annie  Frost. 

Household  Elegancies.  By  Henry  T.  Williams  and  Mrs.  C.  S. 
Jones. 

Ladies*  Fancy  Work. 

A  Sewing-Primer.  By  Mrs.  Louise  J.  Kirkwood  of  the  Wilson 
Industrial  School,  New  York. 

Amateur  Work.    Illustrated. 

Money-Making  for  Ladies.    By  Ella  Rodman  Church. 

42$ 


426  AUTHORITIES   CONSULTED. 

Villages  and  Village  Life.  With  Hints  for  their  Improvement 
By  Nathaniel  Hillyer  Egleston. 

Wood-working  Tools.    How  to  use  them. 

The  Young  Mechanic  :  Containing  Directions  for  the  Use  of  AU 
Kinds  of  Tools,  and  for  the  Construction  of  Steam-Engines  and  Mechani- 
cal Models,  including  the  Art  of  Turning  in  Wood  and  Metal.  By  the 
Author  of  "  The  Lathe  and  its  Uses,"  etc.  From  the  English  edition  with 
Corrections,  etc. 

The  Family  Aquarium;  or.  Aqua  Vivarium.  A  New  Pleasure 
for  the  Domestic  Circle.    By  Henry  D.  Butler. 

The  Illustrated  Natural  History.  By  the  Rev.  J.  G.  Wood. 
3  vols.,  1,500  Illustrations. 

gymnastics  and  physical  culture. 

Moral,  Intellectual,  and  Physical  Culture.  Professor  F.  G. 
Welch. 

The  New  Gymnastics.    Dr.  Dig  Lewis. 

Our  Girls.    Dr.  Dio  Lewis. 

A  Military  System  of  Gymnastic  Exercises,  and  a  System  op 
Swimming.    By  Edward  S.  Farrow,  United-States  Military'  Academy. 

The  Witchery  of  Archery.    By  Maurice  Thompson. 

For  Girls.  A  Special  Physiology ;  being  a  Supplement  to  the  Study 
of  General  Physiology.     By  Mrs.  E.  R.  Shepherd. 

What  our  Girls  ought  to  Know.    By  Dr.  Mary  J.  Studley. 

rearing  and  training  of  the  canary. 

Manual  of  Cage-Birds. 
Canary-Birds.    Pamphlet. 
Book  of  Household  Pets. 

silk-culture. 

Manual  of  Instruction,  Books,  and  Pamphlets  to  be  procured 
at  the  office  of  the  Woman's  Silk-Culture  Association  o^  \h^  United  States, 
1328  Chestnut  Street,  Philadelphia,  Penn. 

BEE-KEEPING. 

The  a  B  C  of  Bee-Culture  :  a  Cyclopaedia  of  Every  Thiag  pertain- 
ing to  the  Care  of  the  Honey-Bee.     By  A.  I.  RoOT. 
The  Blessed  Bees.    By  John  Allen. 


AUTHORITIES   CONSULTED.  42/ 

Quinby's  New  Bee-keeping. 

The  New  Bee-Keeper's  Text-Book.    A.  J.  King. 
Langstroth   on  the   Honey-Bee.     Manual  of  the  Apiary.     Pro- 
fessor Cook. 

POULTRY. 

Wright's  Practical  Poultry-Keeper.    L.  Wright. 
Tegetmeier's  Poultry-Book.    W.  B.  Tegetmeier. 
Geyelin's  Poultry-Breeding  in  a  Commercial  Point  of  View. 
George  Kennedy  Geyelin. 

strawberries  and  small  fruits. 

Success  with  Small  Fruits.    E.  P.  Roe.  • 

Gardening  for  Profit.    Peter  Henderson. 

Cole's  American  Fruit-Book. 

Barnard's  Gardening  for  Money.    Charles  Barnard. 

The  Small  Fruit  Culturist.    Andrew  S.  Fuller. 

canned  fruit,  preserves,  and  pickles. 

Common  Sense  in  the  Household.    Marion  Harland. 
The   Easiest  Way   in    Housekeeping  and   Cooking.     Helen 
Campbell. 

drawing  and  designing. 

Series  of  Drawing-Books.    By  Walter  Smith. 

Elements  of  Art-Criticism.    G.  W.  Samson. 

A  Handbook  of  Art-Culture.  Rev.  W.  H.  Platt.  Selections 
ffom  Ruskin. 

Great  Lights  in  Sculpture  and  Painting.    S.  D.  Doremus. 

Books  on  Art,  by  Mrs.  Susan  N.  Carter  ;  and  The  Art  Inter- 
change, a  Household  Journal,  New- York  City. 

Art  Education  applied  to  Industry.    George  Ward  Nichols. 

window-gardening  and  floriculture. 

Gardening  for  Pleasure:  A  Guide  to  the  Amateur  in  the  Fruit, 
Vegetable,  and  Flower  Garden,  with  full  Directions  for  the  Greenhouse, 
Conservatory,  and  Window-Garden.     Peter  Henderson. 

The  New  Book  of  Flowers.    Joseph  Breck. 

Winter  Greeneries  at  Home.    Rev.  E.  A.  Johnson. 

BursT's  Flower-Garden  Directory. 


INDEX. 


Amusements,  rainy  day,  for  young 
children :  a  picture  -  puzzle,  4 ;  col- 
oring pictures,  2;  cork -work,  12; 
cocked  hats,  14;  home  newspapers, 
2C;  home  post-offices,  20;  keeping 
store,  17;  making  scrap-books,  3; 
paper  dolls  and  furniture,  4;  paper 
bed,  6 ;  paper  bureau,  10 ;  paper  re- 
ception -  chair,  5 ;  paper  rocking- 
chair,  8;  paper  ottomans,  8;  paper 
sofa,  7  ;  paper  table,  9 ;  paper  wash- 
stand,  1 1 ;  paper  boats,  1 5 ;  paper 
fly-boxes,  13;  pricking  pictures,  16; 
soap  -  bubbles,   16. 

Aquarium,  the,  215;  aquarium  cement, 
215;  aquarium,  marine,  217;  aqua- 
rium, short  rules  for,  222. 

Archery,  175;  the  bowstring,  177;  the 
arrow,  178;  how  to  shoot,  180;  rules 
for  target-shooting,  181 ;  the  target, 
179. 

Autumn  leaves,  preserving,  294. 

Ballads  in  action :  Auld  Robin  Gray, 
102;  Lord  Ullin's  Daughter,  109; 
The  Mistletoe-bough,  104;  Villikins 
and  his  Dinah,  106. 

Badminton,  184. 

Billiards,  lawn,  187. 

Boating  for  Girls,  196;  parts  of  a  boat, 
197;  short  rules  fpr  rowing,  19S; 
towing,  202. 


Bread,  408. 

Canary-birds,  their  rearing  and  train- 
ing, 380 ;  diseases,  383 ;  feeding,  381 ; 
food,  382;  hatching,  382;  pairmg, 
380;  training,  382. 

Cardboard  and  its  uses,  290;  card- 
board cottage,  290;  crosses,  293; 
perforated  card,  292. 

Carpentering,  light,  339. 

Charades,  116;  acting  charades,  120; 
a  stitch  in  time  saves  nine,  118; 
bookcase,  122;  childhood,  118;  dra- 
matic, 117;  helpmate,  126;  hunger 
is  the  best  sauce,  119;  Dlustrated 
poems,  127;  incautious,  126;  Jack 
and  the  beanstalk,  127;  mischief, 
123;  Mortality,  125;  petticoat,  121; 
post-chaise,  122;  postman,  122;  ring' 
let,  120;  wardrobe,  124;  wedlock, 
123;  Woodstock,  125. 

Christmas  gifts,  fifty  for  small  fin- 
gers: autumn  leaves,  271;  baby's 
blanket,  268 ;  barrel  -  chair,  273 ; 
bean-bags,  268;  birchbark  presents, 
259;  book-covers,  265;  bureau  cov- 
ers, 253;  cabin-bags,  266;  candles, 
decorated,  273;  Christmas  -  pie,  273; 
coseys,  tea  and  egg,  274;  drawn- 
work,  253;  fern-work,  272;  feather 
screens,  261;  garters,  250;  glove-box, 
270 ;  hemlock  pillow,  268 ;  linei^  ^m- 
499 


430 


mr>EX. 


broidered,  269;  napkin-bands,  269; 
penwipers  (baby -shoe,  248;  bird's- 
nest,  270;  broom,  274;  leaf,  249; 
parasol,  258) ;  pincushion,  pansy, 
258;  "Polly  put  the  kettle  on,"  251 ; 
sachet  for  linen-closet,  268;  sand- 
bags for  windows,  267 ;  scent-cases 
for  trunks,  265;  scent-cases,  pretty, 
252;  shaving-paper  case,  250;  shadow 
pictures,  264;  spectacle-wipers,  248; 
shoe  -  cases,  267  ;  shawl  -  bags,  270 ; 
summer  blankets,  269;  spatter-work, 
263 ;  straw  wall  -  baskets,  260 ;  tooth- 
brush rack,  266;  turtle  cloves,  251  ; 
walnut  boats,  253;  scent-cases,  252; 
work-cases,  259. 

Cooking-clubs,  407. 

Compost,  399. 

Collections,  Hints  on  making  small, 
204 ;  butterflies  and  moths,  205 ;  cat- 
erpillars, 206;  mounting,  212;  pins, 
212. 

Croquet,  183. 

Croquet-pool,  183. 

Designing :  doll's  dress-making,  234 ; 
apron  for,  242 ;  boy  dolls,  244 ;  doll's 
chemise,  239;  doll's  drawers,  240; 
china  dolls,  243 ;  costume  dolls,  245 ; 
knickerbockers,  244;  doll's  night- 
gown, 239;  Italian  peasant,  246; 
Normandy  peasant,  245;  marquise 
dress,  247  ;  Spanish  dancer,  247. 

Doll's  houses,  276;  beds,  278;  chairs, 
281;  home-made  furniture,  281; 
tomato-can  box  houses,  276. 

Doll's  housekeeping,  276. 

Drawing,  403 ;  art  manuals,  406 ;  geo- 
metrical drawing,  404  ;  sketching, 
405 ;  paper,  403 ;  pencils,  403. 

Enigmas,  literary,  147. 

Fifty  forfeits,  41. 

Fruit,    canning,    371;     canning,     373; 


glass   cans,    371;    jelly,    372;     pre- 
serves, 374;  profits,  375. 

Fruit,  small,  culture  of,  367 ;  land, 
367;  pruning,  367;  profits,  369; 
raspberries,  368. 

Floriculture,  394;  dress,  394;  plants, 
396;  preparing  ground,  394;  seeds, 
396. 

Games:  bachelor's  kitchen,  82;  bal. 
loons,  84;  buff,  27;  bonbons,  84 
consequences,  63;  Easter  eggs,  83 
French  blind  man's  buff,  82;  galoo, 
81 ;  German  dwarf,  32  ;  girofle,  giro- 
fla,  70;  gooc'-day,  Cecilia,  73;  grab- 
bag,  85;  "how  do  you  like  it?  when 
do  you  like  it?  where  do  you  like 
it?"  28;  how  to  guess  any  number 
thought  of,  67 ;  here  I  bake,  and 
here  I  brew,  67 ;  how  two  children 
may  stand  on  a  handkerchief  without 
touching  one  another,  82 ;  house  that 
Jack  built,  36;  Kentucky  giant  and 
Kentucky  giant's  wife,  34;  magic 
music,  28;  magic  lantern,  35;  many 
words  in  one,  59;  little  Miss  MufEet, 
39;  paper  bags,  85;  scissor  pres- 
ents, 85;  shadow  buff,  52;  sowing 
oats,  78;  stage-coach,  24;  the  black 
art,  81;  the  elements,  55;  the  em- 
peror of  Morocco,  31 ;  the  elephant, 
35;  the  merchants,  62;  the  new 
French  fashion,  76;  the  puzzle  wall, 
68 ;  thus  says  the  grand  mufti,  31 ;  to 
put  three  children  through  the  key- 
hole, 82. 

Gardening,  parlor,  399;  boxes,  400; 
bulbs,  401 ;  compost,  399 ;  cuttings, 
400;  flowers,  400;  hanging-baskets, 
402. 

Gymnastics,  light,  230;  dress,  230; 
dumb-bells,  232 ;  rings,  231 ;  wands, 
232. 


INDEX. 


431 


Halloween :  diving  for  apples,  145  ; 
melting  lead,  145  ;  needle  test,  145  ; 
nut-burning,  144  ;  snapdragon,  144  ; 
the  looking-glass  test,  146. 

Home-made  candy,  407  ;  cream  for 
candy,  407  ;  chocolate  creams,  408  ; 
walnut  creams,  408  ;  pure  delight, 
408  ;  cream  candy,  409  ;  nut  or 
chocolate  creams,  410  ;  peach  or 
ginger  creams,  410  ;  orange,  lemon, 
or  peppermint  creams,  41 1  ;  almond 
creams,  411  ;  Georgia  taffy,  412  ; 
butter  Scotch,  412 ;  a  perfect  cara- 
mel, 413. 

Honey-bee,  the,  384  ;  eggs,  385  ;  hives, 
384  ;  honey-making,  386  ;  Italian 
bees,  388  ;  profits,  389  ;  queen-bees, 
384  ;  queen-rearing,  385  ;  swarming, 

387. 

Leather,  what  may  be  done  with,  298  ; 
convolvulus  flowers  and  leaves,  304  ; 
decorative  leather,  316  ;  large  garden- 
rose,  306  ;  materials,  299  ;  mouldings, 
307  ;  spray  of  ivy-leaves,  300 ;  re- 
demption of  the  tin  can,  308  ;  tools, 
299  ;   vine,  leaf,  and  stalk,  303. 

Mosaic  work  in  broken  china,  414. 

New  home  industry,  414. 

Parlor  plays,  hints  for,  86  ;  Caractacus, 
100  ;  execution  of  Joan  of  Arc,  94  ; 
faith,  peace,  and  glory,  93 ;  ignorance 
is  bliss,  93  ;  justice,  mercy,  and  peace, 
100  ;  living  statuary,  95  ;  Maud  Mul- 
ler,  loi  ;  monumental  group,  99  ; 
Nydia,  100  ;  plan  for  the  frames,  91  ; 
simple  tableaux  vivants  and  frame 
pictures,  89  ;   the  angel  of  sleep,  99. 

Preserving  leaves,  ferns,  etc.,  294 ; 
drying  flowers,  296  ;  gathering  ferns, 

294  ;  mounting,  298  ;  pressing  leaves, 

295  ;  skeletonizing  leaves  and  flowers, 
297. 


Poultry,  rearing  of,  376  ;  coops,  377  ; 
eggs  in  winter,  379  ;  food,  377  ;  hatch- 
ing, 376  ;  profits,  379  ;  roosts,  378. 

Shells,  mosses,  pine-cones,  etc,  335  ; 
brackets,  335  ;  cement,  335  ;  cones, 
336  ;  lawn  flower-box,  337  ;  mosses, 
336  ;   shell  pincushions,  336. 

Silk  culture  :  cocoons,  392  ;  eggs,  390  ; 
feeding,  391  ;  hatching,  391  ;  mul- 
berry planting,  390  ;  profits,  392  ; 
shrubs,  397. 

Strawberry  culture,  362  ;  ground,  362  ; 
picking,  364  ;  plants,  362  ;  returns, 
365  ;   varieties,  363. 

Swimming-school,  home,  189  ;  miscel- 
laneous instructions,  193  ;  swimming 
on  the  chest,  191  ;  swimming  on  the 
side,   193. 

Tennis,  lawn,  and  its  laws,  151  ;  four- 
handed  games,  171  ;  holding  the 
racket,  162  ;  seaside  tennis,  174  ; 
strokes,  160  ;  the  serve,  162  ;  the  take 
and  the  return,  165  ;  volleys  and  half- 
volleys,  169  ;  winter  tennis,  173. 

Tissue-paper,  what  can  be  done  with, 

283  ;    lamp-shades,    288  ;     patterns, 

284  ;    tools,  283. 
Walking-clubs,  and  camping  out,  225  ; 

dress,  227;  camping,  228:  shoes,  227  ; 
rest,  227. 

Wax  flowers,  318  ;  China  rose,  326  ; 
leaves,  322  ;  patterns,  319 ;  stephan- 
otis,  332  ;  tea-rose,  329  ;  tools,  319  ; 
wax,  318  ;  wax  fruit,  334 ;  white 
camellia,  320  ;  white  jasmine,  324  ; 
white  pink,  324. 

Wood-carving  and  light  carpentering, 
339 ;  light,  359  ;  manuals,  339 ;  pol- 
ishing, 360  ;  sharpening  tools,  352  ; 
spray  of  ivy-leaves,  355  ;  tools,  345  ; 
woods,  347. 

Work  in  general,  420, 


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Ames,  L.  T. 

Great  Thoughts  for  Little  Thinkers 

Austin. 

Moonfolk 

Bancroft,  A. 

Royal  Rogues 

Brooks,  E.  S. 

Great  Men's  Sons 

Historic  Boys 

Historic  Girls 

• 

Chivalric  Days 

Heroic  Happenings 
The  Long  Walls 

Cooper.  J.  P. 

The  Last  of  the  Mohicans    ' 

iH  bo     ^ 
<u  d  fft  □ 

The  Deerslayer 

The  Pathfinder 

.11^1 

The  Pioneer 

S?  o<5'3 

The  Prairie 

^|^> 

The  Spy                                    J 
The  Pilot                                 ' 

W       vO 

.    . 

The  Red  Rover 

The  Wing-and-Wiijg 
The  Water-Witch 

■^;i 

The  Two  Admirals 

i^ 

The  Sea-Lions                         J 

Chtirch,  A.  J. 

The  Hammer 

A  Young  Macedonian 

Three  Greek  Children 

Count  of  the  Saxon  Shore 

Eggleston,  G.  C. 

The  Signal  Boys 

Captain  Sam 

The  Big  Brother 

The  Wreck  of  the  "Red  Bkdn 

Eiloart. 

The  Boy  with  an  Idea 
Tales  of  King  Arthur 
On  Board  a  Whaler 

Farrington,  V,  V. 

Hammond. 

Hamp,  S.^F. 

The  Treasure  of  Mushroom  Roc^ 

Irving,  W. 

Stories  and  Legends 

Knox,  T.  W. 

Life  of  Robert  Fulton 

Le  Due,  V. 

Learning  to  Draw 

Leighton,  R. 

The  Boys  of  Waveney 

Lukin,  J. 

The  Young  Mechanic 

Amongst  Machines 

Boy  Engineers 

Mayne-Reid 

The  Boy  Hunters 

The  Bush  Boys.    A  Tale  of  South  Africa 

The  Young  Voyageurs 
Under  Orders 

Munroe,  K., 

Prince  Dusty 

Cab  and  Caboose 

The  Coral  Ship 
Siegfried  and  Beowult 

Ragozhi,  Z.  A 

Frithjof  and  Roland 

Salammb6 

Rudd,  J.  P. 

The  Tower  of  the  Old  Schloss 

Stoddard,  E.  V. 

Bertrand  du  Guesclin — Constable  of  Frano- 

taylor.  B. 

Boys  of  Other  Cotmtries 

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